03/28/24, 16:01
#229 | Houndoom | Pokédex Strategy Moves Database | Phanpy | #231 |
This article gives you ideas of how to use Kingdra in battle in the Pokémon Black, Pokémon White and Pokemon B2W2 Games. It lists popular movesets used by competitive battlers, as well as a description on how to use each set to help you understand why the moves were chosen. These popular sets are usually the best to use in battle and so reading this guide will help you in your team building.
Gen 5: OverviewKingdra got a huge buff this generation, mainly thanks to Politoed that got the Drizzle ability, so that there´s permanent rain. This, combined with Kingdra´s Swift Swim ability, makes an amazing combination since you wil get a free +2 boost on Kingdra´s speed stat. Take note that on some servers (mainly Smogon, Pokemon Battle Server and Pokemon Society), this combination is banned so you will have to use the move Rain Dance instead. Its other abilities are terrible compared to Swift Swim, and should never be used. Offensively, its stats are average but since you are going to boost the speed anyway the average speed stat does not really matter. Its Attack and Specia Attack are good, but the good thing about Kingdra is that it can use both its special and phisical attack to deal out damage. Defensively, its 75/95/95 defenses are, suprisingly decent and could be used as a defensive set. Its movepool is good but lacks variety on both sides. It doesn´t really matter though, Waterfall, Hydro Pump, Draco Meteor, Outrage, Ice Beam and Hidden Power is all that it really needs. Finally, it has an very good typing with only one weakness which is, sadly, the common dragon typing. Though it gets that amazing water and fire resist. Offensively, its typing is amazing, getting water and dragon STAB which gets incredible neutral coverage and are very good this generation because of the commoness of dragons, ground and rock (well, one in particular) types. The only common thing that can resist this combination is Ferrothorn, which is a giant threat to Kingdra if you are using a physically offensive set.
Ability | Nature | Item | HP | Atk. | Def. | SpAtk. | SpDef. | Speed | |
Swift Swim | Jolly / Adamant | leftovers / lum berry | 4 | 252 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 252 | |
There are no current set statistics analysed |
This set can be used with rain and without rain. Both are totally viable. Though rain is a bit more useful. The purpose of this set is set up a substitute (by either predicting a switch, a non-attacking move, or that you are positive that the hit that you will be taking you take less than 25%) and then use the free turn that you have to set up a Dragon Dance, so that you can do a lot of more damage and you can outspeed many threats (assuming that you have a jolly nature and you are not using rain) like Scarf Chanteclure (very useful on DW only), Scarf Heatran, Blaziken with a speed boost, Scarf Tyranitar, Starmie, Serperior, Thundurus, etc. The prefarrable item for Kingdra is Leftovers since you are going to lose HP from Substitute (so that you can recover it up). You ca also use Lum Berry to get rid of the status that could really hurt it. You want to put max EV´s onto speed and attack, since you want as much power and sped possible, though if you are using rain, you might want to remove speed EV´s to HP, to make more resistant substitutes. Jolly nature is the recommended nature to speed tie with Gyarados with a boost and to outspeed Scarf Chantelure and Scarf Heatran. Adamant can be used if you are using rain. Substitute is always used to scout what the opponent is going to do. It is also very useful on the situations that I previously mentioned since you gan get a free attack or boost. Waterfall and Outrage are youu STAB move, hitting everything except Ferrothorn for netural damage. If Kingdra has a Dragon Dance boost, these moves will do a lot of damage to everything that doesn´t resist the attack (Skarmory, Physically Defensive Jellicent and Bronzong are exceptions). Waterfall hits Tyranitar, Excadrill, Gliscor, Heatran, Infernape, Blaziken, Volcarona, Hippowdon, Ninetales, Terrakion and Landorus super-effectively, while Outrage hits Garchomp, Latios, Dragonite, Hydreigon and Haxorus for super-effective damage.
Ability | Nature | Item | HP | Atk. | Def. | SpAtk. | SpDef. | Speed | |
Swift Swim | Jolly / Adamant | chesto berry | 4 | 252 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 252 | |
There are no current set statistics analysed |
The purpose of this set is to set up Dragon Dances until you are weak and then you recover all of the HP that you previously lost with Rest. Since you have the item Chesto Berry, you can recover all of your damage up with Rest and not recieve the consequences of sleep. When you are taking damage for a second time, chances are that you are going to be incredily powerful. The EV´s are simple: You want max Attack and Speed EV´s to be as strong as possible and as fast as possible so that you can outspeed certain threats. A jolly nature is recommended to outspeed the Pokemon that I previously mentioned. If you are using rain, Adamant nature is the prefered nature though. Item wise, Chesto Berry is the option so that you can recover all of the damage with Rest without getting the sleep status. Waterfall and Outrage are amazing offensive STABs, hitting everything except Ferrothorn for neutral damage plus hitting the Pokemon that I mentioned on the previous set super-effectively.
Ability | Nature | Item | HP | Atk. | Def. | SpAtk. | SpDef. | Speed | |
Swift Swim | Naive / Rash | life orb | 0 | 84 | 0 | 172 | 0 | 252 | |
There are no current set statistics analysed |
Unlike the previous sets, this set has no gimmick. It´s just all attacking moves. On this set, we will be using both physical and special moves, to act as a wallbraker (a Pokemon that can take care of both physical walls and special walls). As for the EV´s, you will want 252 EV´s onto speed to outspeed as many threats possble. Then you will want a lot of investment into Special Attack, since you are going to use them the most. Finally, you want a little investment onto Attack, since you are also using a physical attack. If you are not using rain, the preferrable nature is the Naive nature so that you can outspeed certain Pokemon. Life Orb is the recommended item so that your attacks do a lot of more damage. If you are using rain though, Rash is the preferrable nature since you don´t have to worry about outspeeding threats. Waterfall is your physical STAB move, which takes care of Blissey, Reniclus and Volcarona. Hydro Pump and Draco Meteor are your STABs and your main attacking options, hitting everything but Ferrothorn for neutral damage and hitting the threats that I previously mentioned for super-effective damage. If you don´t like the accuracy of Hydro Pump, you can go with Surf for a more reliable move. For the last slot, it depends if you are using rain or not. If you are, then use Hidden Power fighing to hit Ferrothorn super-effectively. Also it hit Tyranitar for quadruple damage and it hits Lucario, Cloyster and Zoroark for double damage. If you are not using rain, then use Rain Dance to actually set up and use rain.
Ability | Nature | Item | HP | Atk. | Def. | SpAtk. | SpDef. | Speed | |
Swift Swim | Timid / Modest | life orb | 4 | 0 | 0 | 252 | 0 | 252 | |
There are no current set statistics analysed |
This is similar to the previous set, but you don´t have to put investmtment onto physical attack since you are not using it. This is a special- attacking-only set. The purpose of this set is to atttack strongly with your special attack. You would be asking right now: Why don´t we use the mixed set instead of this? The main reason is that since you are not putting EV´s onto Attack, your Special Attacks will be very powerful. Max EV´s are put onto both Special Attack and Speed so that you can be as powerful and as speedy as possible. If you are using rain, a Modest nature is recommended to get as much power possible (since you don´t have to worry about outspeeding things). If you are not using rain, it really dependes if you are confident enough to set up rain besore a Pokemon kills you. Life Orb should be used as an item to do as much damage as possible. Hydro Pump and Draco Meteor are your main STAB moves and hit everything for an incredible amount of damage to anything except Ferrothorn. Hidden Power Fighting is used to hit Ferrothorn for greater damage plus hitting threats like Tyranitar for more damage. For the last slot, it depends if you have rain or not. If you are using rain, use Ice Beam to hit Garchomp and Gliscor for greater damage. If you are not using rain, then use Rain Dance to actually set it up.
Of course, if you are using tiers where the combinaton of Swift Swim and Drizzle is allowed, then Politoed is a required teammate for Kingdra because Politoed sets up the rain that Kingdra really wants. If you really want rain without wasing a moveslot from Kingdra on tiers where that combination is not allowed, you might want to go with Azelf, Zapdos, Bronzong, Crobat, Uxie or Jirachi so that they can set rain. Scizor, while also being able to kill other “weather inducers” like Tyranitar and Abomasnow, covers Kingdra´s weakness while Kingdra covers Scizor´s weakness. Also, take note that since there will probably be rain up, Scizor will take fire hits a bit nicer. Also, Scizor can kill/revenge kill a lot of the counters that Kingdra struggles with. Conkeldurr can also, take care of Ferrothorn and other important counters to Kingdra while also, being an incredible wall/sweeper. If you are not using rain, Heatran is an amazing counter since it can take care of a lot of threats that Kingdra struggles with. Reniclus can also take care of a lot of threats that Kingdra has problems with plus it can take care of other weather inducers incredibly nicely. If you are using rain, Tornadus and Thundurus prove to be nice teammates since they can also beat a lot of threats that could be a problem to Kingdra plus also, working very well on rain. Skarmory can also wall/phase the threats that Kingdra struggles with plus he can set entry hazards that Kingdra loves to have.
Other OptionsDragon Pulse- If you don´t like the special attack drop that Draco Meteor has to offer, then go for this.
Agility- An alternative to rain.
Ice Beam on the mixed set: To hit Garchomp and Dragonite harder.
Scald (Boiling Water)- For the burn chance.
Sniper- If you are not using rain, this is an option but remember, the opponent might have rain.
Choice Specs: For extra power on the special set
Choice Scarf: Another alternative to rain.
Usual CountersFerrothorn, if you are using a physical set or if are not using Hidden Power Fighting, is an incredible threat to Kingdra, since it can take Kingdra´s hits all day. If you are using a special set, Blissey, Reniclus, Calm Mind Jirachi and Snorlax can totally wall Kingdra. If you are using a physical set, Skarmory, Swampert, Bronzong and Foretress can again, wall Kingdra. Dragonite, if it´s at full health, can take an Outrage/Draco Meteor from kingdra and KO back. Bulky Gyarados, Bulky Suicune, Jellicent and Vaporeon can take Kingdra´s attacks and then recover the damage with Rest/Recover. In a similar way, to Ferrothorn, Empoleon can resist Kingdra´s STAB combination. Also, Tyranitar, Ninetails, Hippowdon and Abomasnow can come in and set up a weather that Kingdra doesn´t like.
OpinionKingdra is a very balanced and different pokemon, that when used well, can turn into a giant threat to any team. With two amazing STABs, with Dragon Dance, with the third best speed in the game on rain, Kingdra is a force to be reckoned with.
-Credit to Bulbapedia and Serebii for info.
-Credit to all TU members who helped me with this analysis.
-Lapras6666