Black Kyurem - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

This is a strategy guide for using Black Kyurem in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, and Held Items to use with Black Kyurem, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Black Kyurem - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Black Kyurem

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Black Kyurem
Abilities
Teravolt	Moves can be used regardless of Abilities.

Black Kyurem Weaknesses and Resistances

	Type
Takes 4x damage	-
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage	-
Takes 0x damage	-

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Black Kyurem

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Black Kyurem

Physical Attacker Moveset & Best Build

Black Kyurem is one of the most fearsome physical attackers in the Series 8 Metagame. Sporting a massive 170 Base Attack Stat and great offensive typing, it's often used as a Dynamax Lead as it can unleash exceptionally powerful Max Moves thanks to its high powered attacks.

About Black Kyurem's Moves

Icicle Spear is Black Kyurem's main Ice-type STAB. Although it only has 25 Base Power, it's a multi-hit move that can hit 2 to 5 times. This allows Black Kyurem to break the opposing Pokemon's Substitute, Sturdy, or Focus Sash.

Fusion Bolt is its main coverage move and is a powerful Electric-type move with 100 Base Power that allows Black Kyurem to hit Water and Flying-types for super effective damage.

Outrage is its secondary STAB move and is a powerful Dragon-type attack that has great neutral coverage, but locks Black Kyurem into the attack for 2-3 turns until it becomes confused.

Its last move is Dragon Dance, boosting Black Kyurem's Attack and Speed stat by 1 stage. It's best used when you expect a switch.

About Black Kyurem's EV Spread

We're using a basic physical attacking EV spread with full investment in Attack and Speed so that Black Kyurem hits as hard and as fast as possible, especially after a Dragon Dance boost. The remaining 4 EVs are invested in HP to round off its respectable bulk.

About Black Kyurem's Ability

Teravolt is Black Kyurem's only Ability and is what makes it a very formidable physical attacker. This Ability ignores Abilities such as Lugia and Dragonite's Multiscale, Mimikyu's Disguise or Sturdy, allowing Black Kyurem to attack them directly.

About Black Kyurem's Held Item

Black Kyurem has two options for held item.

Life Orb boosts the power of its moves by 30% at the cost of recoil damage.

Weakness Policy raises its Attack and Special Attack by two stages. Since Black Kyurem has many common weaknesses, it can easily get a boost using this held item.

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Black Kyurem Effectively

A Powerful Physical Attacker with Great Offensive Typing

Black Kyurem's high attack and great offensive typing make it a fearsome physical attacker in the current metagame, and is often used as the team's main Dynamax Pokemon or even a lead!

On top of its great coverage, it's also a valuable teammate in hyper offense teams as it can bypass an opposing Pokemon's Abilities with its Teravolt Ability.

How to Build a Team with Black Kyurem

Black Kyurem's massive attack stat make it an attractive choice for main Dynamax Pokemon for both offensive and defensive-oriented teams, but it's many weaknesses mean that it has to compete with stronger and bulkier Dynamax Pokemon.

With the right team support, Black Kyurem can establish offensive momentum at the very start of the battle and potentially steamroll through the opposing team if it manages to get a boost.

Use it as a Dynamax Lead in a Hyper Offense Team

Black Kyurem is a great choice as a Dynamax Lead in offensive-oriented teams thanks to its high powered moves and great offensive typing. Dynamax also gives it increased bulk, allowing it to survive and get a boost from Weakness Policy easily.

Example Dynamax Lead + Offensive Team

Lead Dynamax	Role	Special Sweeper
Black Kyurem	Eiscue	Alakazam

Black Kyurem's increased bulk during Dynamax lets it survive super effective moves that would otherwise KO it, allowing it to get a boost from Weakness Policy. It can then unlease powerful Max Hailstorm and Max Wyrmwind that sets up Hail and lowers the opposing Pokemon's Attack by 1 stage.

Eiscue appreciates Black Kyurem's setting up Hail with its Max Moves as it restores its Ice Face Ability, essentially giving it a free Substitute when it's hailing.

Alakazam rounds off the team by providing strong special coverage with its moves. Its Magic Guard Ability also gives it immunity to Hail generated by Black Kyurem's Max Hailstorm.

How to Build an Offensive Team

Counters for Black Kyurem

Weakness

Exploit its Common Weaknesses

Despite its great defenses, Black Kyure is plagued by very common weaknesses to Fighting, Rock, Steel, Dragon, and Fairy-type moves.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Zacian	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Easily KOs Black Kyurem with STAB boosted Behemoth Blade ・Steel-typing lets it switch into Black Kyurem's Ice and Dragon-type Attacks Moveset & Best Build for Zacian
Necrozma (Dusk Mane)	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Its Prism Armor Ability cannot be bypassed with Teravolt ・Resists both of Black Kyurem's STAB and can KO with STAB Sunsteel Strike Moveset & Best Build for Necrozma (Dusk Mane)
Xerneas	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Easily outspeeds and KOs Black Kyurem with Moonblast after using Geomancy ・Fairy-typing lets it switch into Outrage Moveset & Best Build for Xerneas
Cinderace	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Faster than Black Kyurem and can KO it with STAB Libero High Jump Kick ・High Jump Kick has poor accuracy and high recoil Moveset & Best Build for Cinderace
Urshifu Single-Strike Style	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Easily KOs Black Kyurem with STAB Close Combat ・Needs to be wary of variants with Dual Wingbeat or Fly Moveset & Best Build for Urshifu Single-Strike Style

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

Best Builds for The Crown Tundra Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for The Crown Tundra Pokemon
Galarian Articuno	Galarian Zapdos	Galarian Moltres
Raikou	Entei	Suicune
Articuno	Zapdos	Moltres
Tornadus	Thundurus	Landorus
Tapu Koko	Tapu Lele	Tapu Bulu
Tapu Fini	Regieleki	Regidrago
Latios	Latias	Heatran
Cresselia	Glastrier	Spectrier
Nidoking	Swampert	Dragonite
Salamence	Garchomp	Metagross
Galarian Slowking	Nihilego	Naganadel
Pheromosa	Buzzwole	Celesteela
Kartana	Stakataka	Blaziken
Kyogre	Yveltal	Xerneas
Necrozma (Dusk Mane)	Calyrex (Shadow Rider)	Mewtwo
Calyrex (Ice Rider)	Dialga	Lugia
Black Kyurem	Zekrom	Ho-Oh
Rayquaza	Zygarde	Reshiram
White Kyurem	Groudon	Regirock
Palkia	Regigigas	Registeel
Regice	Giratina	Solgaleo
Lunala	Kyurem	Necrozma
Uxie	Mesprit	Azelf
Calyrex