Kingdra: The forgotten Threat

[Shur.tugal]

Introduction: This is the team that I have been working on the the past couple of months. It has done extremely well for me. The team was originally designed to help Kingdra set up for a sweep but it eventually evolved into what you see now. It now can set up either Zapdos, Heatran, Kingdra or Salamence for a sweep. Though it is usually Zapdos, Kingdra and Tyranitar that do most of the sweeping. Now without futher ado, here is the rest of the team.

LEAD:

Heatran (M) @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 36 Atk/220 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SpD)
- Stealth Rock
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Explosion​

Description: Shuca Tran is an excellent lead at the moment. Although I do have to run from Infernape leads for fear that they might be scarfed. Stealth Rock is a must for this team as it does a lot of switching which, in turn, causes my opponent to switch. I have Flamethrower over Fire Blast because I hate the accuracy that Fire Blast has. Earth Power is here for coverage. 220 Speed EVs allow me to out-speed neutral Heracross and everything below it.

Scarf Sweeper/Revenge Killer:

Zapdos @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Heat Wave
- U-turn
---​

Description: Choice Scarf Zapdos is the MVP of my team. I don’t usually bring this guy out until mid-game when I know if I should use Thunder Bolt or not because of possible ground types and Blissey. However, if for some reason my opponent does not have Stealth Rock on the field after my Heatran has set up SR because they don’t run an SRing lead or I killed them before they could set up SR I bring him in to see how they handle him. I also get to see if they have a Blissey, an Electivire or a ground type, which is an added bonus. Scarf Zapdos can outspeed max speed Gyarados and Salamence afer a DD, OHKO Gyarados and Mence with Thunder Bolt. (The latter is 2HKOed without SR damage)

Bulky Swords Dancer:

Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252HP/68Atk/188Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Roost

Description: Scizor is my replacement for Bronzong. I chose a Bulky version so that it can come in on a max attak Life Orbed Earthquake from a Mamoswine and OHKO back with Bullet Punch. The EVs also let me survive a CBed Stone Edge from a Tyranitar. Plus, I needed some sort of tanking ability as, with Bronzong gone, I have none. The recovery from Leftovers has helped a lot more than Life Orb would.​

Choice Bander:

Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 176 HP/252 Atk/80 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Pursuit
---​

Description: Choice Band Tyranitar is a force to be reckoned with. Stone Edge is the main move here. The others are really just fillers. Tyranitar takes out a lot of Kingdra’s counters such as Celebi. Plus he gets random kills on Scizor who are trying to switch in with Stone Edge which is a very good bonus. The sandstorm also helps me get KOs on my opponents team. Sure it does some damage to my team but it doesn’t bother me.

Dragon Dancer:

Kingdra (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 180HP/252Atk/76Spe
Hasty nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Waterfall
- Outrage
- Dragon Dance
- Substitute
---​

Description: DD Kingdra is serially underrated these days. Draco Meteor is great way to taking a chunk out of physical walls health then finish them off with Waterfall. Though to be honest Life Orb damage really hurts him along with Stealth Rock and Sandstorm if my opponent packs Toxic Spikes but they rarely do, but it hurts when they do. I have considered going leftovers but then I miss out on much needed kills.

Secondary Dragon Dancer/Late Game Sweeper:

Salamence (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Roost
---​

Description: Late game clean up. Outrage and Earthquake are resisted only by Skarmory and Bronzong. I chose Salamence because he is fast and packs a huge punch. I have chosen to give him a Jolly Nature over Adamant to outspeed Lucario packing Ice Punch and other base 100’s that don’t pack a speed boosting nature. Roost heals off the damage that Stealth Rock and Life Orb give him.



Old Team Members:

Duel Screen Supporter:

Bronzong @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/200 Def/56 SDef
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Gyro Ball
- Earthquake
---

Description: Bronzong is my teams Duel Screen supporter. With screens up it is harder for my opponent to score KOs on my pokémon thus allowing me to deal out more damage. Gyro Ball hits a lot of fast sweepers such as Salamence, Gengar, Electivire and stuff that gets passed a Speed Boost from Ninjask leads. Earthquake takes care of Heatran switch ins and hits whatever Gyro Ball doesn’t. These EVs were specifically designed to allow Bronzong to counter non-Choiced Salamence. A +1 LO Jolly outrage from a 252Atk EVed Salamence a 3HKO. An Adamant Salamence with the same boost does a maximum of 50.89% damage with outrage. The Special Defense EVs make a Fire Blast from a LO Salamence with a +Special Attack nature and 120Special Attack EVs a 2HKO. He can then OHKO Salamence back with Gyro Ball.

 

[cim]

I'd personally use Sub / DD Kingdra on your team rather than a Draco Meteor Kingdra. What's Draco Meteor going to hit that you can't set up on with Sub? Other Dragons lose if you Sub on the switch anyway. Most physical walls are setup fodder for Kingdra anyway.

 

[Seven Deadly Sins]

Good to see my tutee finally posting this team as an RMT.

Like Chris said, Adamant Sub/DD Kingdra is tops. Combine it with Lefties for maximum awesome.

I also tend not to see how Jolly DDTar doesn't rip this team into small pieces. It outspeeds everything but Zapdos on this team after one DD, OHKOing everything that threatens it and 2KOing Bronzong with Crunch. Bronzong does well, dealing tons of damage with Gyro Ball, but since it's generally a screener it usually takes some damage or goes down before DDTar comes into play. I really am not sure how to best deal with it without changing a significant portion of the team, or at least replacing Zapdos.

Come to think of it, this team doesn't have a reliable switchin for Tyranitar, which really doesn't help. I'd say to rethink Bronzong's place on the team and possibly replace it with a variant of Scizor. It provides a check against DDTar and gives you a little more power.

 

[Overcast2020]

For a scarfed pokemon like Zapdos, I would see HP Ice being more adventageous than HP Grass. Choice scarfed pokemon are ussually used to revenge kill, and Hp Ice revenge kills a hec of a lot more pokemon than HP Grass does. I know grass provides "perfect coverage" but you dont really need that on a scarfed pokemon and Ice fits better.

 

[Shur.tugal]

I'd personally use Sub / DD Kingdra on your team rather than a Draco Meteor Kingdra. What's Draco Meteor going to hit that you can't set up on with Sub? Other Dragons lose if you Sub on the switch anyway. Most physical walls are setup fodder for Kingdra anyway.

I like that idea, I'll test it.

Good to see my tutee finally posting this team as an RMT.

Like Chris said, Adamant Sub/DD Kingdra is tops. Combine it with Lefties for maximum awesome.

I also tend not to see how Jolly DDTar doesn't rip this team into small pieces. It outspeeds everything but Zapdos on this team after one DD, OHKOing everything that threatens it and 2KOing Bronzong with Crunch. Bronzong does well, dealing tons of damage with Gyro Ball, but since it's generally a screener it usually takes some damage or goes down before DDTar comes into play. I really am not sure how to best deal with it without changing a significant portion of the team, or at least replacing Zapdos.

Come to think of it, this team doesn't have a reliable switchin for Tyranitar, which really doesn't help. I'd say to rethink Bronzong's place on the team and possibly replace it with a variant of Scizor. It provides a check against DDTar and gives you a little more power.

When facing opposing Tyranitar I usually bring in Zong on the Stone Edge to kill it with Gyro Ball. Reflect helps too but I will try out both CB and Bulky SD Scizor.

For a scarfed pokemon like Zapdos, I would see HP Ice being more adventageous than HP Grass. Choice scarfed pokemon are ussually used to revenge kill, and Hp Ice revenge kills a hec of a lot more pokemon than HP Grass does. I know grass provides "perfect coverage" but you dont really need that on a scarfed pokemon and Ice fits better.

HP Grass is really just for Swampert but Curse Sets are a pain once they set up. Besides, HP Ice really only hits Flygon and Gliscor. Why else would I use HP Ice?

 

[Overcast2020]

"HP Grass is really just for Swampert but Curse Sets are a pain once they set up. Besides, HP Ice really only hits Flygon and Gliscor. Why else would I use HP Ice?"

Yes HP Ice hits flygon and glscor but it also hits salemence who think that he can outspeed and kill you. That service benifits anyone.

 

[Shur.tugal]

UPDATE: I have finished testing Sub and Lefties on Kingdra and they have been working really well. I will be using them. I have finished testing CB Scizor and will now be testing Bulky SD Scizor.
-----------------------------------------------------------

While HP Ice does OHKO Salamence it is not needed on this team because:

1) Zapdos' Thunder Bolt can OHKO it after SR and 2 turns of Sandstorm.
2) If I decide to use Scizor (which I most likely will) his Bullet Punch will 2HKO.
3) No one runs specially bulky mence anymore unless they are have a glaring Zapdos weakness.
4) If Kingdra is behind a Sub he can take it out. (A lot of Mence are late game sweepers)

 

[Shur.tugal]

Well I have tested both Scizors and I am deciding to go with the Bulky SD Scizor. Mainly because it can come in on a Non-CBed Mamos EQ and OHKO with Bullet Punch and because, with Bronzong gone I lose the teams tanking ability. I'm in a little bit of a hurry now so I will add Scizor's description later.

 

[Shur.tugal]

*bump*

 

[Evisu]

You still have Kingdra with Special Attack EV's.

Zapdos appears to be you're only way of possibly dealing with Steel pokemon, and Zapdos can only switch in so many times before SR and hits on the switch finish him off.

For Kingdra to really shine in a team there has to be a reliable way of dealing with Steels. I would suggest running a Choice Scarf Magnezone over Zapdos.

 

[Stephan]

The ability on your Scizor is not correct, or you have a hacked Scizor :P change it to Technician

 

[Shur.tugal]

You still have Kingdra with Special Attack EV's.

Zapdos appears to be you're only way of possibly dealing with Steel pokemon, and Zapdos can only switch in so many times before SR and hits on the switch finish him off.

For Kingdra to really shine in a team there has to be a reliable way of dealing with Steels. I would suggest running a Choice Scarf Magnezone over Zapdos.

Sorry, forgot to edit that. I'll change it now.

It really depends on what steel type is it. Scarf Zapdos is the key player of my team anyways. Are there any steels in particular that you think my team should be worried about?

The ability on your Scizor is not correct, or you have a hacked Scizor :P change it to Technician

Opps, thanks for pointing that out. Changed to Technician.