Ready for QC!
QC Checks 2/3
Overview
Kyurem-Black holds the title of being the strongest physical Refrigerate user in the entire game thanks to its high attack stat and STAB on Ice-type attacks, which are key in threatening meta-defining Pokemon such as Giratina, Zygarde-Complete, and Mega-Rayquaza. Its typing grants it excellent offensive coverage with only two or three moves, giving it a degree of flexibility some other Pokemon wish they had. Additionally, the typing makes it one of the very few viable STAB users of Refrigerate and, additionally, provides resistance to Water and Electric-type attacks. With its high power and often running priority moves, it performs well at forcing out or defeating set-up sweepers and other fast and frail offensive threats, as many of them struggle to withstand Kyurem's priority attacks. lacking Dazzling, Queenly Majest, or Psychic Terrain support, and can use its good Special Attack to deal with threats who'd wall it otherwise.
Despite its virtues, Kyurem-Black's typing is poor defensively, leaving it vulnerable to a number of common moves such as Core Enforcer, despite having otherwise relatively good bulk. Its primary sets also struggle somewhat with anti-priority users running Dazzling, Queenly Majesty, or having support from Psychic Terrain, as they can avoid Kyurem's primary attacks and force it out before it can rely on its other moves. It also competes with Mega-Rayquaza, Mega-Diancie, Zekrom, and Kyurem-White for its role, though it has the benefit of being bulkier in practice than the former two due to a lack of a 4x weakness. Finally, a weakness to Stealth Rock makes repeated switch-ins difficult without proper team support.
Refrigerate
Kyurem-Black @ Icicle Plate / Safety Goggles / Life Orb
Ability: Refrigerate
Happiness: 0
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Naughty / Naive Nature
- Fake Out
- Extreme Speed / Frustration
- Boomburst
- Precipice Blades / Bolt Strike / V-create
Moves
Fake Out is one of the primary moves of the set as its high priority and guaranteed flinch allows Kyurem-Black to inflict anywhere from chip to significant damage to threats for nearly free. Combined with Extreme Speed, it is capable of 2HKOing most Ice-weak or frail Pokemon. However, as anti-priority is a relatively common ability this generation, Frustration is an option for allowing Kyurem-Black to deal with them better or to allow it to function better on teams utilizing Psychic Terrain and also provides a STAB move most Imposters cannot utilize due to frequently running default maximum happiness.
Bolt Strike gives amazing coverage in a classic Boltbeam style and notably hits Pokemon such as Primal Kyogre and Mega Gyarados quite hard and puts many defensive Steel-types in 3HKO range. Precipice Blades, on the other hand, 2HKOs common Steel-types such as Solgaleo, and Registeel. V-Create provides more power and has a chance at OHKOing some Steel-types such as Aegislash outright, but has significant drawbacks in its stat drops and is walled by Flash Fire. Should Fur Coat users, such as Giratina and Arceus, be an issue, Boomburst allows Kyurem-Black to bypass most of them. And finally, U-turn can be used as a scouting tool to determine the opponent's reaction to Kyurem-Black and the checks they are using while maintaining momentum by switching in the proper teammate.
Set Details
248 EVs are chosen to allow five switches into Stealth Rock while having negligible impact in Kyurem-Blacks bulk otherwise. An Attack boosting nature is chosen over a speed boosting one as Kyurem-Black naturally outspeeds most of its defensive checks, who often run minimal speed either way, cannot catch up to its offensive checks, and often relies on priority moves. Additionally, +Speed can miss out on important 2HKOs, such as against Gengar-Mega.
Icicle Plate maximizes the power of Ice-typed moves without any drawbacks. Life Orb grants even more power, and does so to coverage moves as well. However, Life Orb limits Kyu-B's time on the field and, combined with chip damage from sources such as entry hazards, the total combined residual damage can make it a very short lived threat. Safety Goggles provide an immunity to Spore, allowing Kyurem-Black a chance to switch in against offensive threats running the move, such as Regigas and some Mega Rayquaza.
Z-moves provide another optiom for Kyurem-Black. Electrium-Z ensures an outright OHKO on Water-types lacking Fur Coat, like Primal Kyogre, and notably Celesteela, who is immune to Precipice Blades and frequently runs Primordial Sea or Flashfire to block V-Create. Groundium-Z, however, ensures a KO on Steel-types such as Solgaleo after Fake Out or Extreme Speed damage, preventing them switching in to safely wall Kyurem-Black repeatedly.
Usage Tips
Due to the low PP of Extreme Speed, scouting the opponent is often required before one can fully commit with Kyurem-Black. Extreme speed should be using sparingly to conserve it for the best situations. With Fake Out, this is easier as Kyurem-Black can force out frail sweepers by merely getting a safe switch into them as the majority cannot take Fake Out + Extreme Speed without taking crippling or lethal damage, even if they run a Focus Sash. Meanwhile, coverage moves are best used to strike targets on the switch-in as they frequently 2HKO. This is particularly important on walls that take just enough to 2HKO and are too slow to use a recovery move to try to stall Kyurem-Black's limited PP pool. This, combined with its difficulty outright sweeping most teams, Kyurem-Black should be focused on picking off priority targets, letting teammates wear down the opposing team, and waiting for an opportunity to set-up safely.
Boomburst allows Kyurem-Black to break through physically defensive checks, notably Fur Caot users such as Giratina and Mega Swampert. Additionally, it gives it a spammable STAB move to use in situations where the opponent carries Baneful Bunker, King's Shield, Spiky Shield, and Rocky Helmet. Additionally, sets running Extreme Speed should be on high alert for anti-priority abilities. Psychic Surge is obvious, though one should remember that Flying-types, both yours and your opponents, are not protected unless they have been grounded. Dazzling and Queenly Majesty only announce themselves when they block a move, so unless the opponent switches into one, its best to try to deduce their ability based on how they play. Many anti-priority users are powerful offensive Pokemon who can strike down or set-up on Kyurem-Black if it gives it a free turn by using a priority attack on it, so throwing Fake Out or Extreme Speed blindly at suspect Pokemon is unwise. Kyurem-Black can attempt to lure in those brave enough to directly switch into its attacks and attempt to inflict heavy damage or outright KO with Frustration and Boomburst, however.
Team Options
Kyurem-Black is vulnerable to all entry hazards, particularly Stealth Rock, so it appreciates the ability to remove them. Solgaleo is a good Rapid Spin teammate as it can also both threats and Imposters, such as Imposter Eviolite Chansey, if Kyurem-Black is not running Ground coverage. Mega Audino or another teammate can also set hazards, which helps secure Fake Out + Extreme Speed KOs and racks up damage on the many switches Kyurem-Black can force. As it can be worn down quite easily, Wish and cleric support, such as from Chansey or Zygarde-Complete, help keep Kyurem-Black healthy and status free. Terrain Support to disrupt opposing Psychic Terrain is also ideal. Misty Terrain in particular not only disables Psychic Terrain, but also protects Kyurem-Black from status and reduces damage from super-effective Dragon-typed attacks. Pursuit support from Pokemon such as Mega Gyarados can also be used to remove Psychic-typed users of Psychic Surge.
Offensively, it appreciates teammates that can eliminate its checks and counters in the form of Pokemon such as Shedinja, Fur Coat Chansey, and Mega-Diancie. Red Orb Groudon is a good partner that defeats many of these checks and Kyure-Black can threaten its walls, Giratina and Zygarde-Complete, quite well, alongside fast Pokemon that would outspeed and severely damage Groudon. Pokemon running Illusion, such as Mega-Rayquaza or Mega-Kangaskhan, can disguise themselves as Kyurem-Black to lure in and defeat its checks.
Other good defensive partners include Aegislash-Shield, who resists or is immune to all of Kyurem-Black's weaknesses, checks Imposters as long as Kyurem-Black lacks ground or Fire coverage, wall most common moves ran by Psychic Surge user,s can bring Kyurem-Black in on a slow U-turn, and run Prankster Haze to stop set-up sweepers. For sets lacking Bolt Strike, Primal Kyogre and Slowbro-Mega also pair well as they too can stop Imposters and also wall certain checks, such as Solgaleo. Kyogre in particular can use Kyurem-Black's checks as an opportunity to set-up, doubling as an offensive partner.
Other Options
Kyurem-Black has an ideal typing for a Skill Link set running moves like Icicle Spear, Bone Rush, and Bullet Seed and setting up with Shell Smash. While its physical STAB is stronger out of the gate than Extreme Speed or Frustration, it lacks the priority or anti-Imposter options provided by those two moves and its reliant on set-up to threaten offensive teams, making it vulnerable to anti-set-up strategies. Technician is a higher risk, higher reward option over Skill Link, sacrificing consistency for potential power, and can take advantage of moves such as Dual Chop, Dragon Tail, and Bonemerang.
Checks and Counters
**Entry hazards** Kyurem-Black is weak to all forms of them, especially Stealth Rock, and can be worn down fairly quickly if it needs to switch into hazards frequently or combined with other residual damage.
**Faster Priority** Some opposing -ate ability users and Triage Pokemon are able to outpace Kyurem-Black's priority and strike it first. Mega-Diancie in particular can win most 1 on 1s as it can outright OHKO Kyurem-Black with Boomburst or inflict heavy damage with Fake Out + Extreme Speed. Mega-Rayquaza can also Fake Out + Extreme Speed first in a fair one on one match-up, though loses if Kyurem-Black gets a safe switch into it.
**Psychic Terrain, Queenly Majesty, and Dazzling** These shutdown Kyurem-Black sets reliant on priority. Many also carry a Focus Sash and Shell Smash, meaning staying in to use a coverage move instead is extremely risky. Terrain and Core Enforcer support from Kyurem-Black's Team can help bypass these abilities.
**Physically bulky Pokemon** Mega Slowbro, Registeel, and Fur Coat users, such as Arceus, among others can stomach most attacks. Boomburst can bypass a number of these, though Fur Coat Chansey in particular isn't threatened by this.
**Steel-types** can resist Kyurem-Black's STAB and often can hit hard back with Sunsteel Strike, though they struggle with Kyurem-Black's Ground and Fire coverage.
**Bulky Water-types** also resist Kyurem-Black's STAB and easy switch-in on V-Create sets as well. Most of them fear Bolt Strike, but some of them, such as Fur Coat Primal Kyogre, can easily switch in on anything Kyurem-Black can throw at it, including Bolt Strike if Kyurem-Black lacks a Life Orb.
**Core Enforcer** Not only is the attack super-effective, but as Kyurem-Black often uses priority moves and invests in its speed, and many Core Enforcer users run minimal speed, it often loses its ability in the process, which is something Kyurem-Black cannot afford.
**Status** Burns in particular all but disable Kyurem-Black, Paralysis makes it vulnerable to being outspeed by even middling speed Pokemon, Poison can quickly wear it down, especially if using a Life Orb, and Sleep leaves it a sitting duck.
**Mega Mewtwo X** has trouble switching in on certain sets, but, once its in, it can OHKO Kyurem-Black with Close Combat, Super Power, or Low Kick. While an unboosted Drain Punch cannot OHKO Kyurem-Black, with Triage it outspeeds even priority-abusing Refrigerate sets and the healing from the move ensures Mewtwo X wins in a fair fight.
QC Checks 2/3
Overview
Kyurem-Black holds the title of being the strongest physical Refrigerate user in the entire game thanks to its high attack stat and STAB on Ice-type attacks, which are key in threatening meta-defining Pokemon such as Giratina, Zygarde-Complete, and Mega-Rayquaza. Its typing grants it excellent offensive coverage with only two or three moves, giving it a degree of flexibility some other Pokemon wish they had. Additionally, the typing makes it one of the very few viable STAB users of Refrigerate and, additionally, provides resistance to Water and Electric-type attacks. With its high power and often running priority moves, it performs well at forcing out or defeating set-up sweepers and other fast and frail offensive threats, as many of them struggle to withstand Kyurem's priority attacks. lacking Dazzling, Queenly Majest, or Psychic Terrain support, and can use its good Special Attack to deal with threats who'd wall it otherwise.
Despite its virtues, Kyurem-Black's typing is poor defensively, leaving it vulnerable to a number of common moves such as Core Enforcer, despite having otherwise relatively good bulk. Its primary sets also struggle somewhat with anti-priority users running Dazzling, Queenly Majesty, or having support from Psychic Terrain, as they can avoid Kyurem's primary attacks and force it out before it can rely on its other moves. It also competes with Mega-Rayquaza, Mega-Diancie, Zekrom, and Kyurem-White for its role, though it has the benefit of being bulkier in practice than the former two due to a lack of a 4x weakness. Finally, a weakness to Stealth Rock makes repeated switch-ins difficult without proper team support.
Refrigerate
Kyurem-Black @ Icicle Plate / Safety Goggles / Life Orb
Ability: Refrigerate
Happiness: 0
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Naughty / Naive Nature
- Fake Out
- Extreme Speed / Frustration
- Boomburst
- Precipice Blades / Bolt Strike / V-create
Moves
Fake Out is one of the primary moves of the set as its high priority and guaranteed flinch allows Kyurem-Black to inflict anywhere from chip to significant damage to threats for nearly free. Combined with Extreme Speed, it is capable of 2HKOing most Ice-weak or frail Pokemon. However, as anti-priority is a relatively common ability this generation, Frustration is an option for allowing Kyurem-Black to deal with them better or to allow it to function better on teams utilizing Psychic Terrain and also provides a STAB move most Imposters cannot utilize due to frequently running default maximum happiness.
Bolt Strike gives amazing coverage in a classic Boltbeam style and notably hits Pokemon such as Primal Kyogre and Mega Gyarados quite hard and puts many defensive Steel-types in 3HKO range. Precipice Blades, on the other hand, 2HKOs common Steel-types such as Solgaleo, and Registeel. V-Create provides more power and has a chance at OHKOing some Steel-types such as Aegislash outright, but has significant drawbacks in its stat drops and is walled by Flash Fire. Should Fur Coat users, such as Giratina and Arceus, be an issue, Boomburst allows Kyurem-Black to bypass most of them. And finally, U-turn can be used as a scouting tool to determine the opponent's reaction to Kyurem-Black and the checks they are using while maintaining momentum by switching in the proper teammate.
Set Details
248 EVs are chosen to allow five switches into Stealth Rock while having negligible impact in Kyurem-Blacks bulk otherwise. An Attack boosting nature is chosen over a speed boosting one as Kyurem-Black naturally outspeeds most of its defensive checks, who often run minimal speed either way, cannot catch up to its offensive checks, and often relies on priority moves. Additionally, +Speed can miss out on important 2HKOs, such as against Gengar-Mega.
Icicle Plate maximizes the power of Ice-typed moves without any drawbacks. Life Orb grants even more power, and does so to coverage moves as well. However, Life Orb limits Kyu-B's time on the field and, combined with chip damage from sources such as entry hazards, the total combined residual damage can make it a very short lived threat. Safety Goggles provide an immunity to Spore, allowing Kyurem-Black a chance to switch in against offensive threats running the move, such as Regigas and some Mega Rayquaza.
Z-moves provide another optiom for Kyurem-Black. Electrium-Z ensures an outright OHKO on Water-types lacking Fur Coat, like Primal Kyogre, and notably Celesteela, who is immune to Precipice Blades and frequently runs Primordial Sea or Flashfire to block V-Create. Groundium-Z, however, ensures a KO on Steel-types such as Solgaleo after Fake Out or Extreme Speed damage, preventing them switching in to safely wall Kyurem-Black repeatedly.
Usage Tips
Due to the low PP of Extreme Speed, scouting the opponent is often required before one can fully commit with Kyurem-Black. Extreme speed should be using sparingly to conserve it for the best situations. With Fake Out, this is easier as Kyurem-Black can force out frail sweepers by merely getting a safe switch into them as the majority cannot take Fake Out + Extreme Speed without taking crippling or lethal damage, even if they run a Focus Sash. Meanwhile, coverage moves are best used to strike targets on the switch-in as they frequently 2HKO. This is particularly important on walls that take just enough to 2HKO and are too slow to use a recovery move to try to stall Kyurem-Black's limited PP pool. This, combined with its difficulty outright sweeping most teams, Kyurem-Black should be focused on picking off priority targets, letting teammates wear down the opposing team, and waiting for an opportunity to set-up safely.
Boomburst allows Kyurem-Black to break through physically defensive checks, notably Fur Caot users such as Giratina and Mega Swampert. Additionally, it gives it a spammable STAB move to use in situations where the opponent carries Baneful Bunker, King's Shield, Spiky Shield, and Rocky Helmet. Additionally, sets running Extreme Speed should be on high alert for anti-priority abilities. Psychic Surge is obvious, though one should remember that Flying-types, both yours and your opponents, are not protected unless they have been grounded. Dazzling and Queenly Majesty only announce themselves when they block a move, so unless the opponent switches into one, its best to try to deduce their ability based on how they play. Many anti-priority users are powerful offensive Pokemon who can strike down or set-up on Kyurem-Black if it gives it a free turn by using a priority attack on it, so throwing Fake Out or Extreme Speed blindly at suspect Pokemon is unwise. Kyurem-Black can attempt to lure in those brave enough to directly switch into its attacks and attempt to inflict heavy damage or outright KO with Frustration and Boomburst, however.
Team Options
Kyurem-Black is vulnerable to all entry hazards, particularly Stealth Rock, so it appreciates the ability to remove them. Solgaleo is a good Rapid Spin teammate as it can also both threats and Imposters, such as Imposter Eviolite Chansey, if Kyurem-Black is not running Ground coverage. Mega Audino or another teammate can also set hazards, which helps secure Fake Out + Extreme Speed KOs and racks up damage on the many switches Kyurem-Black can force. As it can be worn down quite easily, Wish and cleric support, such as from Chansey or Zygarde-Complete, help keep Kyurem-Black healthy and status free. Terrain Support to disrupt opposing Psychic Terrain is also ideal. Misty Terrain in particular not only disables Psychic Terrain, but also protects Kyurem-Black from status and reduces damage from super-effective Dragon-typed attacks. Pursuit support from Pokemon such as Mega Gyarados can also be used to remove Psychic-typed users of Psychic Surge.
Offensively, it appreciates teammates that can eliminate its checks and counters in the form of Pokemon such as Shedinja, Fur Coat Chansey, and Mega-Diancie. Red Orb Groudon is a good partner that defeats many of these checks and Kyure-Black can threaten its walls, Giratina and Zygarde-Complete, quite well, alongside fast Pokemon that would outspeed and severely damage Groudon. Pokemon running Illusion, such as Mega-Rayquaza or Mega-Kangaskhan, can disguise themselves as Kyurem-Black to lure in and defeat its checks.
Other good defensive partners include Aegislash-Shield, who resists or is immune to all of Kyurem-Black's weaknesses, checks Imposters as long as Kyurem-Black lacks ground or Fire coverage, wall most common moves ran by Psychic Surge user,s can bring Kyurem-Black in on a slow U-turn, and run Prankster Haze to stop set-up sweepers. For sets lacking Bolt Strike, Primal Kyogre and Slowbro-Mega also pair well as they too can stop Imposters and also wall certain checks, such as Solgaleo. Kyogre in particular can use Kyurem-Black's checks as an opportunity to set-up, doubling as an offensive partner.
Other Options
Kyurem-Black has an ideal typing for a Skill Link set running moves like Icicle Spear, Bone Rush, and Bullet Seed and setting up with Shell Smash. While its physical STAB is stronger out of the gate than Extreme Speed or Frustration, it lacks the priority or anti-Imposter options provided by those two moves and its reliant on set-up to threaten offensive teams, making it vulnerable to anti-set-up strategies. Technician is a higher risk, higher reward option over Skill Link, sacrificing consistency for potential power, and can take advantage of moves such as Dual Chop, Dragon Tail, and Bonemerang.
Checks and Counters
**Entry hazards** Kyurem-Black is weak to all forms of them, especially Stealth Rock, and can be worn down fairly quickly if it needs to switch into hazards frequently or combined with other residual damage.
**Faster Priority** Some opposing -ate ability users and Triage Pokemon are able to outpace Kyurem-Black's priority and strike it first. Mega-Diancie in particular can win most 1 on 1s as it can outright OHKO Kyurem-Black with Boomburst or inflict heavy damage with Fake Out + Extreme Speed. Mega-Rayquaza can also Fake Out + Extreme Speed first in a fair one on one match-up, though loses if Kyurem-Black gets a safe switch into it.
**Psychic Terrain, Queenly Majesty, and Dazzling** These shutdown Kyurem-Black sets reliant on priority. Many also carry a Focus Sash and Shell Smash, meaning staying in to use a coverage move instead is extremely risky. Terrain and Core Enforcer support from Kyurem-Black's Team can help bypass these abilities.
**Physically bulky Pokemon** Mega Slowbro, Registeel, and Fur Coat users, such as Arceus, among others can stomach most attacks. Boomburst can bypass a number of these, though Fur Coat Chansey in particular isn't threatened by this.
**Steel-types** can resist Kyurem-Black's STAB and often can hit hard back with Sunsteel Strike, though they struggle with Kyurem-Black's Ground and Fire coverage.
**Bulky Water-types** also resist Kyurem-Black's STAB and easy switch-in on V-Create sets as well. Most of them fear Bolt Strike, but some of them, such as Fur Coat Primal Kyogre, can easily switch in on anything Kyurem-Black can throw at it, including Bolt Strike if Kyurem-Black lacks a Life Orb.
**Core Enforcer** Not only is the attack super-effective, but as Kyurem-Black often uses priority moves and invests in its speed, and many Core Enforcer users run minimal speed, it often loses its ability in the process, which is something Kyurem-Black cannot afford.
**Status** Burns in particular all but disable Kyurem-Black, Paralysis makes it vulnerable to being outspeed by even middling speed Pokemon, Poison can quickly wear it down, especially if using a Life Orb, and Sleep leaves it a sitting duck.
**Mega Mewtwo X** has trouble switching in on certain sets, but, once its in, it can OHKO Kyurem-Black with Close Combat, Super Power, or Low Kick. While an unboosted Drain Punch cannot OHKO Kyurem-Black, with Triage it outspeeds even priority-abusing Refrigerate sets and the healing from the move ensures Mewtwo X wins in a fair fight.
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