The Forgotten Dragon
Monday, August 22, 2011 at 6:00PM Dragons. These majestic creatures have been a major part of the fantasy genre for many years. They are known for their terrifying bulk and incredible power. Dragon type Pokemon are no different. Pokemon like Garchomp and Salamence immediately jump out at you as a threat that needs to be dealt with,as they have been known to sweep entire teams by themselves. There is one dragon Pokemon, however, that most trainers seem to overlook. Kingdra.
HP:75
Attack:95
Defense:95
Special Attack:95
Special Defense:95
Speed:85
Total:540
While it may not be the magical number 600, a 540 base stat total is pretty awesome. Kingdra's stats are really balanced in comparison to most other Pokemon. I feel however, that this is not Kingdra's greatest strength. After all, it IS a dragon type, it's stats are supposed to be incredibly high, right? The biggest X-factor is Kingdra's typing.
Kingdra's water/dragon nature is incredibly rare. The only other Pokemon that shares that typing is Palkia, and that dragon is in a league of it's own. This means that Kingdra's only weakness is dragon type attacks. The ice type is kept in check and Kingdra carries all resistances of a normal dragon type. Here are a couple ways to capitalize on this Pokemon's unique abilities:
Special Sweeper A.K.A "The Legend Killer"
Ability: Swift Swim
Moveset: Rain Dance
Surf/Scald
Ice Beam
Dragon Pulse
Item: Haban Berry
EV Spread: 252 Special Attack/252 Speed/4 HP
OR
252 Special Attack/156 Speed/ 100 HP
This is my preferred set. It has gotten its nickname from the countless Legendary Pokemon that Kingdra has beaten. Kingdra can use the Haban Berry to survive almost any dragon type move, giving it time to set up a Rain Dance. With it's speed doubled from Swift Swim, it can power through most Pokemon. Dragon Pulse gets a nice STAB( same type attack bonus), Surf/Scald gets STAB and a rain bonus, and Ice Beam provides more coverage. It also will send Pokemon like Salamence and Garchomp to their knees.
While Kingdra's physical pool isn't as exciting as it's special pool, there are tools there to make a decent set:
Physical Sweeper A.K.A "Out-rager in the Cage"
Ability: Swift Swim
Moveset: Outrage
Rain Dance
Waterfall
Protect/Toxic/Dragon Dance
Item: Haban Berry/Persim Berry
EV Spread:252 Attack/252 Speed/4 HP
OR
252 Attack/156 Speed/100 HP
Bad puns aside, Outrage is the main reason I point this set out. It is the dragon type move of choice when it comes to strong physical Dragon Pokemon. Waterfall is awesome with STAB and rain. The last slot is a wild card. As i pointed out earlier, Kingdra's physical pool is really weak so feel free to customize that however you please.
Remember, like all dragon Pokemon, Kingdra takes time and patience to be effective. After all the time it takes to hunt down a dragon scale, breed, and train the rewards will far exceed expectations. This Pokemon is a joy to battle with, and the feeling you get when you watch a Garchomp get taken down in one hit is truly amazing. I hope you enjoyed this article. All comments, good or bad, are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions please let me know in the comments or find me on Twitter @darkassassin721. Thanks for reading!
-Chris
Reader Comments (8)
This is excellent. I want a Kingdra now. Well done!
Thank You TM, that means a lot. I accomplished what I wanted with this article. Hope to bring more down the line.
Great job, Chris! Keep it up!
I have many teams in my head that feature Kingdra. I've never used him, but have always wanted to. I think it's because I can never make up my mind on a moveset. Haha!
@scoot: well i hope this helps, lol. Like I said in the article, the special set has never steered me wrong.
I used to have a Damp Rock on my Kingdra (it's my favorite Dragon), but the Haban Berry makes sense because of Dragon being its only weakness. Great article!
It's like a Smoogon profile of a Pokemon, but it makes sense. great job. The article feels like a pkmn of the week but with more of a this is the one everybody overlooks taste to it. I look forward to more.
That was an amazing article! Do another one on something like Chinchou! most people forget about that too