In-battle formes
| Type | |
|---|---|
| Abilities | |
| Tier |
| HP: | 55 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack: | 130 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defense: | 115 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Atk: | 50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Def: | 50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: | 75 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
Evolutions
- Krabby
- Kingler
Strategies
- en
Overview
While Kingler's extraordinary Attack stat might make you think it is one of the most fearsome Pokemon in NU, it certainly isn't. This is because it has many flaws that don't allow it to perform well in the current NU metagame. First of all, its bulk is awful, especially on the special side, and this makes it very hard for Kingler to switch in or set up. Furthermore, its Speed is not high enough, so many offensive Pokemon can easily check Kingler, making use of its bad bulk to outspeed and OHKO it. To make matters worse, while Sheer Force is a great ability, it is a waste on Kingler, as it doesn't learn Waterfall. Kingler also faces competion from Samurott, who has much better bulk and isn't as predictable as Kingler, and Carracosta, who has a much easier time setting up; these two have priority in Aqua Jet as well. Not all is bad news for Kingler, though, as its high Attack stat makes it hard to switch into, and its Speed, while not very good, is enough to outspeed many walls and some threats like Seismitoad or Ludicolo, letting Kingler severely damage them via a Choice Band or Swords Dance-boosted attacks.
Substitute + Swords Dance
| Move 1 |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move 2 |
| ||||||||
| Move 3 |
| ||||||||
| Move 4 |
With this set, Kingler becomes a decent wallbreaker that can threaten an opposing Pokemon out, set up, and potentially sweep. Substitute plays a very important role in this set, as it lets Kingler set up against walls such as Alomomola and Metang as well as avoid status that could be very detrimental for it. It also prevents Kingler from being revenge killed by faster threats and Choice Scarf users. Crabhammer is Kingler's STAB move and the only viable one it can use, as it doesn't learn Waterfall. While it doesn't have perfect accuracy and is not boosted by Sheer Force, it is a very powerful move with a nice critical hit rate. For the last slot, both Return and X-Scissor are good options as both have nice coverage with Crabhammer. Return provides Kingler with a strong and reliable move against most foes that resist or are immune to Crabhammer, while X-Scissor, even though it is weaker, lets Kingler heavily damage Musharna and many Grass-types, especially after a Swords Dance boost.
A Salac Berry gives Kingler a chance to sweep; Kingler can be really hard to stop at +2 Attack and +1 Speed. It can be activated by just using Substitute three times. On the other hand, a Lum Berry is also a good option, as it lets Kingler switch in on Pokemon like Alomomola without fearing status. Life Orb can also be used, as it gives Kingler a lot of power. Coupled with Stealth Rock damage and an Adamant nature, it allows Kingler to at least 2HKO almost every Pokemon in the tier, and get some important OHKOs on Pokemon like standard Mandibuzz, Misdreavus, and Musharna. However, Substitute + Life Orb damage reduce Kingler's lifespan considerably. Finally, Leftovers is also an option, as it lets Kingler set up more Substitutes, but this isn't really necessary. A Jolly nature is preferred as it allows Kingler to outspeed Swellow and Adamant Choice Scarf Braviary at +1 Speed, as well as Adamant Sawk, Adamant Braviary, and positive-natured Ludicolo and Samurott without boosts.
Kingler appreciates having partners that can deal with Grass- and Electric-types, since these Pokemon can easily OHKO it. Camerupt makes a good partner for Kingler as it can beat Grass- and Electric-types with its STAB moves and can also set up Stealth Rock. Pivot Musharna and Probopass can take many moves from faster foes that threaten Kingler, spread paralysis, and ease Kingler's setup via a slow Baton Pass and Volt Switch, respectively. LumRest Exeggutor can beat most Grass-types in the tier with ease, not fearing status and taking little damage from their hits, making it an ideal partner. Finally, the removal of Toxic Spikes is very important for Kingler, as they can make Substitute pointless and make Kingler much more susceptible to being walled by more threats, such as Alomomola. Garbodor and Roselia can do this and set up their own entry hazards as well.
Choice Band
| Move 1 |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move 2 | |||||||||
| Move 3 |
| ||||||||
| Move 4 |
| Item | |
|---|---|
| Ability | |
| Nature |
|
| EVs |
|
A Choice Band gives Kingler immediate power, helping Kingler get past many walls and deal heavy damage without having to set up. Crabhammer is Kingler's strongest STAB move, and when boosted by Choice Band, it 2HKOes any Pokemon that doesn't resist it. It 2HKOes physically defensive Mandibuzz and Weezing with Stealth Rock support, and even Pokemon that resist the attack, such as Serperior, won't enjoy taking it. X-Scissor has good coverge with Crabhammer and allows Kingler to cleanly 2HKO Musharna. Double-Edge is a much more powerful move that also has good coverage with Crabhammer, and is Kingler's most reliable move against Water-, and Dragon-type Pokemon. Double-Edge is also Kingler's best bet against Grass / Poison types. It is a guaranteed 2HKO on physically defensive Seismitoad with just one layer of Spikes, and physically defensive Vileplume with Stealth Rock support, which is quite a feat considering the fact that Double-Edge isn't boosted by STAB. Finally, Toxic is the best option for the last slot, as Kingler doesn't need more coverage and Toxic greatly annoys common switch-ins such as Alomomola, Tangela, and Mandibuzz, putting them on a timer.
An Adamant nature is used because this set is used to break walls, and Kingler appreciates all the power it can get. A Jolly nature can also be used to outspeed Adamant Sawk, Adamant Braviary, Ludicolo, and Samurott, but the loss of power will be noticeable. Return can be used if Double-Edge's recoil is annoying, as Kingler's low HP makes it unable to take a large amount of recoil damage. However, Kingler really appreciates the power of Double-Edge to beat threats such as Vileplume and Seismitoad. As for good partners for this set, Musharna is a great one. Musharna can provide Kingler with a slow Baton Pass and paralysis support, which Kingler really appreciates. Pairing Kingler with Samurott or Ludicolo is also a good idea as Kingler can weaken their counters, letting them finish off the game. Dragon-types such as Fraxure and Zweilous cover Kingler's weaknesses to Grass- and Electric-type attacks nicely. Fraxure can also make use of Kingler's ability to damage walls to set up and sweep. LumRest Exeggutor makes a great partner for Kingler, due to its ability to beat many Grass- and Water-type Pokemon. Roselia is also a very good partner for Kingler, being able to set up entry hazards, take Electric- and Grass-type attacks aimed at Kingler, and deal with Alomomola and Tangela.
Other Options
Using both Agility and Swords Dance make Kingler a very threatening sweeper, but it must set up first, which is a problem as it's very hard for Kingler to set up both moves due to its poor bulk. If it only sets Agility up it will lack the power to break through sturdy walls, and if it gets to use Swords Dance it will be outsped and KOed by faster offensive Pokemon. This strategy is not to be dismissed, however, as using both boosting moves at the same time is the way Kingler can be more devastating, but it is a really high risk, high reward strategy that is very difficult to execute. A set consisting of Agility and three attacks can be used as Kingler outspeeds many Pokemon, including Choice Scarf users, after an Agility boost, and can finish a game. A Choice Scarf can be used to patch Kingler's Speed, but it is still outsped by every common Choice Scarf user, and it doesn't pack as much power as the other sets. A Normal Gem can be used in conjunction with Double-Edge to get a really powerful move that OHKOes offensive Ludicolo after Stealth Rock damage, OHKOes Vileplume and has a great chance to OHKO physically defensive Seismitoad after a Swords Dance boost, and OHKOes Alomomola after two Swords Dance boosts; by using this gimmicky strategy, Kingler can lure one of its counters in and net a surprise KO on it, making this good for other offensive Water-types that like having these counters KOed or severely damaged.
As for other moves, Superpower is an acceptable option to heavily damage Munchlax, Lickilicky, Miltank, and Klang; however, it doesn't offer much coverage, and these threats are already hit hard by Crabhammer. Knock Off is a decent support option to annoy an Alomomola, Tangela, or Frillish switch-in, and also kills Shedinja, but Toxic has, overall, more utility. Sheer Force is a good ability, but Kingler cannot exploit it (sadly, it doesn't learn Waterfall), as its only boosted move would be Rock Slide, which is not worth a slot and doesn't get any important KOs. Sheer Force-boosted Ice Beam 2HKOes Tangela, but otherwise it's a terrible option, as Kingler's Special Attack is really bad. Finally, Hone Claws can be used over Swords Dance as it improves Crabhammer's accuracy, but Kingler really appreciates the power Swords Dance provides.
Checks and Counters
Kingler is very difficult to directly counter due to its power, which makes switching in on a Crabhammer without being immune to it very difficult. The odd Frillish makes a great counter, as it is immune to both Crabhammer and Return, and resists X-Scissor. Frillish can burn Kingler with Will-o-Wisp, rendering it almost useless, or damage it with Night Shade, which breaks Kingler's Substitutes. It should be noted that Frillish is not a common sight in the current NU metagame. Most Grass-types have an easy time with Kingler; Vileplume and Tangela can easily take a hit and OHKO back with Giga Drain, regaining the health they may have lost, while Serperior and Leafeon can outspeed Kingler if it didn't get a boost and OHKO it with their STAB moves. Weezing and Misdreavus can burn Kingler if it hasn't set up, or 2HKO it with Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball, respectively. Physically defensive Seismitoad is immune to Crabhammer and can hit Kingler hard with its STAB Earth Power. Alomomola can take Kingler's attacks and poison it, but it is setup fodder for the Substitute + Swords Dance set. Kingler hates status of all kinds, especially paralysis and burn. They make it much easier to handle.
While Kingler is hard to counter, checking it is a different story. In general, Pokemon faster than Kingler can just outspeed and KO Kingler with little prior damage due to its poor bulk. Also, most Choice Scarf users, especially those that use special attacks such as Rotom-S and Rotom-F, can check Kingler as well, despite the fact that they cannot directly switch in on an attack.
Credits
- Written by Alonsoforever
- Quality checked by soulgazer, Blast, and Raseri
- Grammar checked by Electrolyte and JockeMS
