Moves

Extreme Speed is useful for its increased priority bracket and high damage output against offensive threats like Mega Gengar, giving Kyurem-B a needed countermeasure against faster foes and providing the team with revenge killing utility. Boomburst enables Kyurem-B to use a stronger Ice-type attack, do much higher damage to physically defensive foes like Primal Groudon and Fur Coat users like Mega Slowbro, and potentially punish Dazzling users that attempt to take advantage of a predicted Extreme Speed. Bolt Strike gives Kyurem-B crucial coverage against Water-types, preventing Primal Kyogre, Mega Gyarados, and the less common Mega Slowbro from walling this set. Its decent chance to paralyze opposing Pokemon can also be handy against foes that Kyurem-B struggles to bypass and Imposter users that may pivot into Kyurem-B on a pinch. Fake Out further strengthens Kyurem-B's matchup against offensive teams, letting it deal free damage, which is always useful. This also sometimes allows Kyurem-B to take out a threat that cannot be taken down by Extreme Speed alone. Return is a stronger Refrigerate-boosted STAB physical attack that has significantly more PP than Extreme Speed and is powerful enough to have a chance to OHKO Giratina after Stealth Rock damage and cleanly 2HKO Assault Vest Dialga and Mega Audino. Note that forgoing coverage against Water-types or a secondary priority move makes Return often a questionable choice, however. Stealth Rock can be used instead to pressure opposing teams if offensive threats can be sufficiently covered by Kyurem-B's teammates. Precipice Blades targets Flash Fire Steel-types like Registeel and Aegislash that commonly pivot into Kyurem-B, 2HKOing them on the switch. Precipice Blades also serves as a decently strong neutral attack against Water-types if Kyurem-B lacks Bolt Strike. Close Combat is a more accurate coverage move against Steel-types that also hits Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, and Fur Coat Chansey hard. It fails to cover some Steel-types like Aegislash and Necrozma-DM, however. V-create is a stronger coverage move against Steel-types, having enough power to OHKO many Steel-types with minimal prior damage.

Set Details

A Lonely nature is typically preferred, as Kyurem-B needs the extra power to 2HKO Registeel with Precipice Blades and do the maximum amount of damage to faster foes with Extreme Speed. Another important benchmark of this nature includes enabling Kyurem-B to KO Primal Kyogre and Mega Gyarados with Bolt Strike after they switch into any other attack. Alternatively, a Naive nature can be considered to outspeed positive-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon like Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, but it is rare for said Pokemon to run maximum Speed, and the loss of power isn't generally worth it. Refrigerate turns Kyurem-B's Normal-type attacks into boosted Ice-type STAB attacks, making moves like Extreme Speed and Boomburst significantly more powerful. Boomburst can OHKO Giratina after Stealth Rock damage and 2HKO Mega Audino. Icicle Plate further boosts the power of Kyurem-B's Ice-type STAB attacks, making it an effective mixed attacker that can 2HKO a good number of neutral Pokemon in the metagame, including Mega Audino and Xerneas. Expert Belt can be used instead to increase the odds that Kyurem-B will net OHKOs with super effective attacks like V-create on Registeel.

Usage Tips

Kyurem-B will not have many opportunities to liberally switch into the field. It takes sizeable damage from Stealth Rock upon switching in, and because of its average Speed stat, it is unable to double switch effectively due to its vulnerability to many faster threats, particularly opposing -ate users that can strike Kyurem-B first. Kyurem-B is generally forced to play with caution and should prefer entering the field by slow pivoting or when it has to revenge kill a foe. Once in, Kyurem-B will have opportunities to surprise and punish its switch-ins with its coverage moves. Due to Ice being less popular of an offensive typing, some teams are loosely prepared for Kyurem-B and tend to rely on offensive pressure or Imposter to keep it in control. Offensive pressure can be dealt with if Kyurem-B is defensively supported by its teammates, but keeping Imposter users in line will require more aggressive strategies, such as using entry hazards or strictly securing momentum. Make sure that foes like Registeel and Primal Kyogre that attempt to sponge hits from Kyurem-B are harshly punished with appropriate coverage moves and weakened enough to be easily taken out by another teammate if Kyurem-B does not get to KO them itself. Kyurem-B also proves to be an annoyance for offensive teams, as not many viable Pokemon from such archetypes resist Ice and some teams rely on a single Steel-type to check -ate users, which Kyurem-B can easily bypass with a coverage move. As it will force a lot of switches against faster threats once they are revealed to lack abilities like Dazzling, setting entry hazards can be helpful for further punishing switch-ins. Though Kyurem-B is capable of doing a good amount of damage to many foes early- and mid-game, it can also be a cleaner late-game. Identify the opposing team's structure and draft plans to use Kyurem-B appropriately. Scouting for opposing abilities is crucially important. Foes like Mega Mewtwo Y with Dazzling can be very dangerous should Kyurem-B waste its turn by choosing a priority attack and give them a chance to set up. Lastly, be cautious about Extreme Speed's PP. If it is wasted on foes that resist it, it will hinder Kyurem-B's revenge killing capabilities.

Team Options

Steel-types typically become necessary, as Kyurem-B will usually be forced out against opposing -ate users. Most of them can easily justify a slow pivoting move that can help Kyurem-B enter the field easily. However, note that they stack weaknesses to Fighting-types with Kyurem-B, making adding Aegislash for compressing defensive roles or Giratina to cover Fighting-types a good idea. Steel-types can also set entry hazards that Kyurem-B can take advantage of due to the number of switches it easily forces, and they can pivot to bring Kyurem-B in against Magic Bounce users. Depending on its coverage moves, Kyurem-B can be Imposter-proof by varying methods. Water-types can be a decent pivot to Kyurem-B lacking Bolt Strike, though Precipice Blades can be strong enough to 2HKO them on the switch if they are weakened enough. Mega Slowbro, especially Fur Coat variants, can easily wall any variant of Kyurem-B lacking Bolt Strike. Flash Fire Steel-types can be considered if Kyurem-B lacks Precipice Blades and Close Combat, and Fur Coat Chansey can effectively Imposter-proof Kyurem-B, as it easily avoids a 2HKO from any moves. Many offensive partners can benefit from Kyurem-B's ability to bring pressure to the table against offensive foes and certain Steel-types. Primal Groudon can threaten most Steel-types that Kyurem-B may struggle with, provide Stealth Rock support, and pivot into Mega Diancie. Kyurem-B in return pressures Celesteela that can typically check Primal Groudon well with an ability that makes it immune to Fire. Giratina and Zygarde-C, though they share weaknesses to Fairy-types, can provide useful defensive presences against Regigigas and Mega Mewtwo X. As Kyurem-B naturally threatens Giratina and Zygarde-C, can threaten Primal Kyogre with Bolt Strike, and can potentially dispose of Mega Tyranitar and Ferrothorn with Close Combat, Poison Heal users like Regigigas, Primal Kyogre, and Xerneas make great partners, as they all appreciate these threats being weakened. All of them can absorb status and weaker attacks for Kyurem-B in return, and Xerneas is additionally able to switch into Core Enforcer. Entry hazard removers are needed for Kyurem-B to remain healthy. Defoggers like Giratina and Rapid Spinners like Dialga and Yveltal are able to fulfill this role. Imposter users with a Choice Scarf, Unaware users, and Prankster users can effectively take on Dazzling sweepers, which Kyurem-B cannot take down with priority moves.