[OVERVIEW]
Boasting some of the most absurd base stats in the tier, a devastating signature move to power up with Icium Z, and a wealth of useful coverage moves like Fusion Bolt, Kyurem-B was already destined to be one of the best wallbreakers around. With the dual threat of a maximum power Subzero Slammer and Fusion Bolt, very little can stand up to Kyurem-B defensively, and it's a big contributing factor to the importance of defensive Steel-types like Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Jirachi to stave it off. Its natural bulk is rather immense, letting it find easy entry against Zapdos and Gliscor and trade blows with the likes of Tapu Fini and Choice Scarf Kartana. However, Kyurem-B relies on its Z-Crystal for a large part of its offensive prowess, with raw Freeze Shock being unreliable due to its charge time, and Ice Beam not packing nearly as much power, meaning that after Subzero Slammer is used, Kyurem-B can be handled by the likes of Clefable and Chansey with relative ease. Its base 95 Speed isn't lightning fast, so there's no short supply of revenge killers like Mega Medicham and Choice Band Kartana that can show it the door.
[SET]
name: Z-Move
move 1: Freeze Shock
move 2: Fusion Bolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Roost / Substitute / Earth Power / Hone Claws
item: Icium Z
ability: Teravolt
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Despite its huge drawback of needing to charge up for a turn, Freeze Shock is used for its insane base power that lets Subzero Slammer hit the maximum base power for a Z-Move. Though its primary use is with Icium Z, crucially skipping the charging up turn, it still packs a punch if it can be pulled off safely via prediction or against a passive Pokemon, and it has a nasty paralysis chance to boot. Fusion Bolt is the perfect complement to Kyurem's Ice-type attacks, pressuring Water-types like Toxapex and chipping away at neutral targets like Magearna and Heatran as they come in. Kyurem-B even has a good Special Attack stat to wield Ice Beam with, granting it a consistent Ice-type attack to hit easy targets like Landorus-T, Zapdos, and Gliscor without burning up its Z-Crystal. Roost is useful for healing off entry hazard damage and giving Kyurem-B some longevity in taking on the likes of Zapdos and Choice-locked Ash-Greninja. Substitute both eases prediction and prevents desperate status counterplay from the likes of Toxapex and Rotom-W, even guarding it from revenge killers if it's fortunate enough to keep the Substitute after claiming a KO. Additionally, it can provide a turn of protection while charging up Freeze Shock. Hone Claws strikes fear into defensive teams that had hoped to stall or otherwise switch around Kyurem-B, punishing passive play like nothing else. Earth Power is another option that benefits from Kyurem-B's mixed prowess, best used for hitting Heatran and Mega Mawile for 2HKOs and pressuring Rotom-W in a comparable way.
Set Details
========
A Naive and Hasty natures are useful for speed-ties with base 95 neighbors Tapu Lele and opposing Kyurem-B as well as outspeeding Kommo-o, though Lonely or Naughty nature can feasibly be run when the aforementioned threats are already handled well for a general power boost, with benefits including a confirmed 2HKO against non-Leftovers Slowbro with Fusion Bolt and better odds to OHKO Ferrothorn with Subzero Slammer. Naive and Naughty natures leave Kyurem-B's Defense as-is, which is helpful against the likes of Landorus-T, Mega Charizard X, and Kartana, though Hasty and Lonely natures are better for taking hits from special attackers like Heatran, Tornadus-T, and Tapu Fini. Kyurem-B can also run a bulkier spread very well because its base attack is so high that it doesn't necessitate full investment in order to be a strong wallbreaker, giving its Roost sets much more defensive utility in the face of the likes of Protean Greninja and letting it make trades against Mega Diancie and Mega Charizard Y. A spread of 248 HP / 116 Atk / 32 SpD / 112 Spe with an Adamant nature allows Kyurem-B to outspeed Modest Heatran and survive Moonblast from Mega Diancie, with the rest pooled into Attack.
Usage Tips
========
Kyurem-B has the bulk to be thrown at its ideal targets like defensive Landorus-T and Zapdos and is adept at cracking holes early-game, being able to significantly weaken the likes of Magearna and Heatran if not claiming a KO outright. Save your Z-Move until it can either grab a KO or otherwise get lots of value, as it's preferable to hold onto the threat of Subzero Slammer as long as possible to keep the likes of Clefable and Ferrothorn uneasy. Kyurem-B can pepper the likes of Magearna and Heatran with Fusion Bolt or Earth Power as they come in, though, when facing Mega Scizor, its presence makes wallbreaking attempts somewhat of a lost cause until it's worn down enough or removed. Kyurem-B has an infamously good matchup against rain teams, being a great lead against Pelipper to either claim a KO immediately or otherwise start punching holes.
Team Options
========
Most of the time, Kyurem-B is fit onto offense and bulky offense teams, tasked with breaking open holes for fast cleaners and benefiting from free entry opportunities gifted by its pivoting teammates. Choice Scarf Kartana and Mega Lopunny are examples of fast threats that can balance out Kyurem-B's average Speed, with Kyurem-B clearing a path for them by taking chunks out of Magearna and Rotom-W and actively hunting down Landorus-T and Zapdos for them. Tapu Koko boosts Kyurem-B's Fusion Bolt to worrying levels of power, being able to OHKO specially defensive Toxapex when using an Attack-boosting nature and 2HKOing Magearna. Weavile shares quite a few checks with Kyurem-B, such as Mega Mawile, Mega Scizor, and the aforementioned Magearna, so they work well together to menace and overwhelm these Pokemon. Tapu Fini's Misty Terrain is wonderfully synergistic as it guards Kyurem-B against nasty status attempts from Scald or Toxic Toxapex and Slowbro and Will-O-Wisp Rotom-W, letting Kyurem-B come in safely. Mega Diancie provides useful entry hazard control with Magic Bounce and appreciates Kyurem-B blowing past the likes of Celesteela and Ferrothorn and chipping at shared annoyances, Jirachi and Mega Scizor. Landorus-T, Magearna, and Tapu Koko can provide useful pivoting support to bring Kyurem-B in against ideal targets like Zapdos and Chansey.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/steorra.483087/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Life Orb is nice for focusing on Kyurem-B's mixed prowess, boosting its other attacks like Fusion Bolt and Earth Power in exchange for losing its one-time Ice-type nuke by dropping Icium Z. Hidden Power Fire is a nice option for this set to pressure Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, and Roost is important to offset the Life Orb recoil damage, but all of Earth Power, Hidden Power Fire, and Roost cannot be viably fit at once. This set doesn't see consistent use because one of Kyurem-B's main draws is its immense immediate breaking power with Subzero Slammer and, alongside Stealth Rock, it gets worn down very quickly. Choice Band is an intriguing item choice that lets Kyurem-B cut through near enough anything with proper prediction, with an OHKO on Toxapex and 2HKO on Heatran and Magearna with Adamant Fusion Bolt. Outrage can be used on this set to fill in for Freeze Shock's absurd power, with only bulky Dragon-resistant Pokemon avoiding the 2HKO from it, and Iron Head can be used to smash Fairy-types like Tapu Bulu and Clefable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor is the closest thing to a perfect Kyurem-B counter, resisting Ice and having the bulk to shrug off most of anything else Kyurem-B has to throw out, being able to heal it off with Roost afterwards. Even worse, it has priority Bullet Punch that threatens to 2HKO Kyurem-B back. Jirachi is similarly irritating due to how it can heal off chip damage with Wish and Magearna can threaten out Kyurem-B with an OHKO from Fleur Cannon and semi-reliably stay healthy with Pain Split. The last two aren't as comfortable with Kyurem-B when Electric Terrain is up, however, as Kyurem-B is then a hair away from 2HKOing them with Fusion Bolt. Ferrothorn is able to wall Kyurem-B quite consistently after it uses up its Z-Move.
**Faster Wallbreakers**: Faster, powerful attackers like Mega Medicham, Mega Lopunny, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, and Choice Band Kartana can take advantage of Kyurem-B's average Speed to force it out, threatening an OHKO.
**Passive Damage And Status**: Kyurem-B is liable to being chipped down rapidly by entry hazards, specifically Stealth Rock, and Toxic can enable the likes of Toxapex and Slowbro to handle Kyurem-B by spamming their recovery moves to stall out poison turns. Burn is even more ruinous for Kyurem-B, as it neuters its stronger attacking stat, meaning it by no means has safe entry against the likes of Rotom-W and Toxapex.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/steorra.483087/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Boasting some of the most absurd base stats in the tier, a devastating signature move to power up with Icium Z, and a wealth of useful coverage moves like Fusion Bolt, Kyurem-B was already destined to be one of the best wallbreakers around. With the dual threat of a maximum power Subzero Slammer and Fusion Bolt, very little can stand up to Kyurem-B defensively, and it's a big contributing factor to the importance of defensive Steel-types like Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Jirachi to stave it off. Its natural bulk is rather immense, letting it find easy entry against Zapdos and Gliscor and trade blows with the likes of Tapu Fini and Choice Scarf Kartana. However, Kyurem-B relies on its Z-Crystal for a large part of its offensive prowess, with raw Freeze Shock being unreliable due to its charge time, and Ice Beam not packing nearly as much power, meaning that after Subzero Slammer is used, Kyurem-B can be handled by the likes of Clefable and Chansey with relative ease. Its base 95 Speed isn't lightning fast, so there's no short supply of revenge killers like Mega Medicham and Choice Band Kartana that can show it the door.
[SET]
name: Z-Move
move 1: Freeze Shock
move 2: Fusion Bolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Roost / Substitute / Earth Power / Hone Claws
item: Icium Z
ability: Teravolt
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Despite its huge drawback of needing to charge up for a turn, Freeze Shock is used for its insane base power that lets Subzero Slammer hit the maximum base power for a Z-Move. Though its primary use is with Icium Z, crucially skipping the charging up turn, it still packs a punch if it can be pulled off safely via prediction or against a passive Pokemon, and it has a nasty paralysis chance to boot. Fusion Bolt is the perfect complement to Kyurem's Ice-type attacks, pressuring Water-types like Toxapex and chipping away at neutral targets like Magearna and Heatran as they come in. Kyurem-B even has a good Special Attack stat to wield Ice Beam with, granting it a consistent Ice-type attack to hit easy targets like Landorus-T, Zapdos, and Gliscor without burning up its Z-Crystal. Roost is useful for healing off entry hazard damage and giving Kyurem-B some longevity in taking on the likes of Zapdos and Choice-locked Ash-Greninja. Substitute both eases prediction and prevents desperate status counterplay from the likes of Toxapex and Rotom-W, even guarding it from revenge killers if it's fortunate enough to keep the Substitute after claiming a KO. Additionally, it can provide a turn of protection while charging up Freeze Shock. Hone Claws strikes fear into defensive teams that had hoped to stall or otherwise switch around Kyurem-B, punishing passive play like nothing else. Earth Power is another option that benefits from Kyurem-B's mixed prowess, best used for hitting Heatran and Mega Mawile for 2HKOs and pressuring Rotom-W in a comparable way.
Set Details
========
A Naive and Hasty natures are useful for speed-ties with base 95 neighbors Tapu Lele and opposing Kyurem-B as well as outspeeding Kommo-o, though Lonely or Naughty nature can feasibly be run when the aforementioned threats are already handled well for a general power boost, with benefits including a confirmed 2HKO against non-Leftovers Slowbro with Fusion Bolt and better odds to OHKO Ferrothorn with Subzero Slammer. Naive and Naughty natures leave Kyurem-B's Defense as-is, which is helpful against the likes of Landorus-T, Mega Charizard X, and Kartana, though Hasty and Lonely natures are better for taking hits from special attackers like Heatran, Tornadus-T, and Tapu Fini. Kyurem-B can also run a bulkier spread very well because its base attack is so high that it doesn't necessitate full investment in order to be a strong wallbreaker, giving its Roost sets much more defensive utility in the face of the likes of Protean Greninja and letting it make trades against Mega Diancie and Mega Charizard Y. A spread of 248 HP / 116 Atk / 32 SpD / 112 Spe with an Adamant nature allows Kyurem-B to outspeed Modest Heatran and survive Moonblast from Mega Diancie, with the rest pooled into Attack.
Usage Tips
========
Kyurem-B has the bulk to be thrown at its ideal targets like defensive Landorus-T and Zapdos and is adept at cracking holes early-game, being able to significantly weaken the likes of Magearna and Heatran if not claiming a KO outright. Save your Z-Move until it can either grab a KO or otherwise get lots of value, as it's preferable to hold onto the threat of Subzero Slammer as long as possible to keep the likes of Clefable and Ferrothorn uneasy. Kyurem-B can pepper the likes of Magearna and Heatran with Fusion Bolt or Earth Power as they come in, though, when facing Mega Scizor, its presence makes wallbreaking attempts somewhat of a lost cause until it's worn down enough or removed. Kyurem-B has an infamously good matchup against rain teams, being a great lead against Pelipper to either claim a KO immediately or otherwise start punching holes.
Team Options
========
Most of the time, Kyurem-B is fit onto offense and bulky offense teams, tasked with breaking open holes for fast cleaners and benefiting from free entry opportunities gifted by its pivoting teammates. Choice Scarf Kartana and Mega Lopunny are examples of fast threats that can balance out Kyurem-B's average Speed, with Kyurem-B clearing a path for them by taking chunks out of Magearna and Rotom-W and actively hunting down Landorus-T and Zapdos for them. Tapu Koko boosts Kyurem-B's Fusion Bolt to worrying levels of power, being able to OHKO specially defensive Toxapex when using an Attack-boosting nature and 2HKOing Magearna. Weavile shares quite a few checks with Kyurem-B, such as Mega Mawile, Mega Scizor, and the aforementioned Magearna, so they work well together to menace and overwhelm these Pokemon. Tapu Fini's Misty Terrain is wonderfully synergistic as it guards Kyurem-B against nasty status attempts from Scald or Toxic Toxapex and Slowbro and Will-O-Wisp Rotom-W, letting Kyurem-B come in safely. Mega Diancie provides useful entry hazard control with Magic Bounce and appreciates Kyurem-B blowing past the likes of Celesteela and Ferrothorn and chipping at shared annoyances, Jirachi and Mega Scizor. Landorus-T, Magearna, and Tapu Koko can provide useful pivoting support to bring Kyurem-B in against ideal targets like Zapdos and Chansey.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/steorra.483087/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Life Orb is nice for focusing on Kyurem-B's mixed prowess, boosting its other attacks like Fusion Bolt and Earth Power in exchange for losing its one-time Ice-type nuke by dropping Icium Z. Hidden Power Fire is a nice option for this set to pressure Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, and Roost is important to offset the Life Orb recoil damage, but all of Earth Power, Hidden Power Fire, and Roost cannot be viably fit at once. This set doesn't see consistent use because one of Kyurem-B's main draws is its immense immediate breaking power with Subzero Slammer and, alongside Stealth Rock, it gets worn down very quickly. Choice Band is an intriguing item choice that lets Kyurem-B cut through near enough anything with proper prediction, with an OHKO on Toxapex and 2HKO on Heatran and Magearna with Adamant Fusion Bolt. Outrage can be used on this set to fill in for Freeze Shock's absurd power, with only bulky Dragon-resistant Pokemon avoiding the 2HKO from it, and Iron Head can be used to smash Fairy-types like Tapu Bulu and Clefable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor is the closest thing to a perfect Kyurem-B counter, resisting Ice and having the bulk to shrug off most of anything else Kyurem-B has to throw out, being able to heal it off with Roost afterwards. Even worse, it has priority Bullet Punch that threatens to 2HKO Kyurem-B back. Jirachi is similarly irritating due to how it can heal off chip damage with Wish and Magearna can threaten out Kyurem-B with an OHKO from Fleur Cannon and semi-reliably stay healthy with Pain Split. The last two aren't as comfortable with Kyurem-B when Electric Terrain is up, however, as Kyurem-B is then a hair away from 2HKOing them with Fusion Bolt. Ferrothorn is able to wall Kyurem-B quite consistently after it uses up its Z-Move.
**Faster Wallbreakers**: Faster, powerful attackers like Mega Medicham, Mega Lopunny, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, and Choice Band Kartana can take advantage of Kyurem-B's average Speed to force it out, threatening an OHKO.
**Passive Damage And Status**: Kyurem-B is liable to being chipped down rapidly by entry hazards, specifically Stealth Rock, and Toxic can enable the likes of Toxapex and Slowbro to handle Kyurem-B by spamming their recovery moves to stall out poison turns. Burn is even more ruinous for Kyurem-B, as it neuters its stronger attacking stat, meaning it by no means has safe entry against the likes of Rotom-W and Toxapex.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/steorra.483087/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
