[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Encore / Knock Off / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET DETAILS]
At the highest Speed tier in NFE sits Kadabra, which uses its Speed and power to threaten most of the metagame. It functions as both a special wallbreaker and cleaner, with Psychic 2HKOing most of the neutral metagame, and it is only limited due to its poor bulk, often letting priority attackers remove it in one hit. Dazzling Gleam targets Dark-types like Vullaby, Galarian Linoone, and Krokorok. Shadow Ball is effective at breaking Galarian Corsola and Hattrem, and it also targets opposing Kadabra. Kadabra can fit multiple moves for its last slot thanks to the effectiveness of its previous coverage; Encore punishes targets if they lock into status or Sucker Punch, Knock Off removes the Eviolite of special walls like Klang and Ferroseed on the switch, and Psyshock is the strongest attack against some special walls like Mareanie and Roselia, securing an OHKO on both.
Kadabra cannot break through Steel-type walls like Klang and Ferroseed and instead relies on teammates like Gurdurr, Lampent, and Magmar to break them. Raboot also helps to this degree and appreciates generating momentum when pivoting out on its checks like Mareanie and Galarian Corsola to bring Kadabra in safely; additionally, defensive pivots like Vullaby and Golbat work too. For Kadabra to clean weakened teams, it needs Knock Off support from teammates like Machoke, Thwackey, and Mareanie to put targets like Tangela, Hattrem, and Galarian Linoone into OHKO range. If running Knock Off itself, Kadabra should also utilize it against switch-ins like Vullaby and Klang, helping its teammates out as well. Kadabra should avoid priority users like Thwackey and Sucker Punch Raboot, and it should have defensive switch-ins like Koffing and Gabite to deter them. Mareanie and Ferroseed act as switch-ins for sweepers like Klang and Wartortle that set up on Kadabra and sweep past it.
[SET]
name: Focus Sash
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Encore / Counter
item: Focus Sash
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET DETAILS]
The security of Focus Sash functionally doubles Kadabra's longevity, as it can afford to take an extra hit thanks to Magic Guard protecting it from entry hazards. Dazzling Gleam targets Dark-types that are immune to Psychic like Galarian Linoone and Morgrem. Encore is used for stallbreaking and deals with checks that may lock into status moves, while Shadow Ball offers strong coverage against common Ghost- and Psychic-types like Lampent and Galarian Mr. Mime. Counter in conjunction with Focus Sash lets Kadabra take down its physically offensive checks when healthy, but it is unreliable if the checks carry multi-hit attacks like Klang and Bullet Seed Ferroseed or if pivots like Raboot and Thwackey use U-turn and bring in a Ghost-type teammate.
Bring Kadabra in safely to revenge kill slower targets, and try to preserve its health so that it can utilize its Focus Sash late-game to stop opposing cleaners like Thwackey and Wartortle. Kadabra should be weary of attackers that can opt for coverage that bypasses Focus Sash, like Scale Shot Fraxure and Icicle Spear Piloswine, and should rely on walls like Galarian Corsola and Clefairy to scout. Wallbreakers like Choice Band Thwackey and Choice Specs Gastly wear down shared checks with Kadabra like Vullaby, Klang, and Ferroseed so that together they are likely to break past them. Entry hazards from Piloswine, Krokorok, and Roselia also help wear down the aforementioned checks, giving an opportunity for Kadabra to use Encore when they are forced to recover or use Defog in Vullaby's case. Pivots like Raboot, Thwackey, and Electabuzz bring Kadabra in against their checks, and they in turn rely on Kadabra for breaking bulky Pokemon like Mareanie, Golbat, and Roselia. Teleport Clefairy also pairs well with Kadabra, since it brings Kadabra in safely in order to preserve its Focus Sash throughout the course of the game.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Energy Ball can be considered for stronger coverage against Piloswine and Water-types such as specially defensive Wartortle. Protect is also optional for scouting and safely stalling out the turns of Thwackey's Grassy Terrain and Fraxure's First Impression. Psychic Terrain with Expanding Force makes for a situational late-game cleaner, with Expanding Force OHKOing more targets like Tangela and providing an immunity to priority attacks from Piloswine and Gurdurr; other setters for Psychic Terrain like Slowpoke also helps. This set still struggles to sweep when facing Thwackey, Kadabra's defensive checks like Defog Vullaby, and Choice Scarf revenge killers. Choice Specs and Trick offers both more power against walls, but the Choice-lock is a heavy price to pay for a small buff compared to Life Orb's damage output.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Ferroseed and Klang are some of the best defensive answers to Kadabra thanks to their bulk and Kadabra's unthreatening coverage against them even if they lose their Eviolite. Metang works as an answer as well, and while it can be scared off due to Shadow Ball, it has a unique edge with Bullet Punch.
**Special Walls**: The bulkiest of special walls like Galarian Corsola, Vullaby, and Clefairy are able to take on Focus Sash Kadabra and fire back with Shadow Ball or Knock Off. However, Life Orb Kadabra is more likely to 2HKO these walls with chip damage, and Knock Off users ought to fear Counter from a healthy Focus Sash Kadabra.
**Revenge Killers**: Priority attackers like Thwackey and Piloswine bypass Kadabra's great Speed, and they are even switch-ins when healthy. Frailer priority users like Pikachu and Raboot as well as Choice Scarf users like Krokorok and Lampent are good offense checks when they have a safe switch into Kadabra.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ho3nConfirm3d, 231074]]
- Quality checked by: [[Marjane, 355753], [Jett, 226429]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Estronic, 240732]]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Encore / Knock Off / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET DETAILS]
At the highest Speed tier in NFE sits Kadabra, which uses its Speed and power to threaten most of the metagame. It functions as both a special wallbreaker and cleaner, with Psychic 2HKOing most of the neutral metagame, and it is only limited due to its poor bulk, often letting priority attackers remove it in one hit. Dazzling Gleam targets Dark-types like Vullaby, Galarian Linoone, and Krokorok. Shadow Ball is effective at breaking Galarian Corsola and Hattrem, and it also targets opposing Kadabra. Kadabra can fit multiple moves for its last slot thanks to the effectiveness of its previous coverage; Encore punishes targets if they lock into status or Sucker Punch, Knock Off removes the Eviolite of special walls like Klang and Ferroseed on the switch, and Psyshock is the strongest attack against some special walls like Mareanie and Roselia, securing an OHKO on both.
Kadabra cannot break through Steel-type walls like Klang and Ferroseed and instead relies on teammates like Gurdurr, Lampent, and Magmar to break them. Raboot also helps to this degree and appreciates generating momentum when pivoting out on its checks like Mareanie and Galarian Corsola to bring Kadabra in safely; additionally, defensive pivots like Vullaby and Golbat work too. For Kadabra to clean weakened teams, it needs Knock Off support from teammates like Machoke, Thwackey, and Mareanie to put targets like Tangela, Hattrem, and Galarian Linoone into OHKO range. If running Knock Off itself, Kadabra should also utilize it against switch-ins like Vullaby and Klang, helping its teammates out as well. Kadabra should avoid priority users like Thwackey and Sucker Punch Raboot, and it should have defensive switch-ins like Koffing and Gabite to deter them. Mareanie and Ferroseed act as switch-ins for sweepers like Klang and Wartortle that set up on Kadabra and sweep past it.
[SET]
name: Focus Sash
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Encore / Counter
item: Focus Sash
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET DETAILS]
The security of Focus Sash functionally doubles Kadabra's longevity, as it can afford to take an extra hit thanks to Magic Guard protecting it from entry hazards. Dazzling Gleam targets Dark-types that are immune to Psychic like Galarian Linoone and Morgrem. Encore is used for stallbreaking and deals with checks that may lock into status moves, while Shadow Ball offers strong coverage against common Ghost- and Psychic-types like Lampent and Galarian Mr. Mime. Counter in conjunction with Focus Sash lets Kadabra take down its physically offensive checks when healthy, but it is unreliable if the checks carry multi-hit attacks like Klang and Bullet Seed Ferroseed or if pivots like Raboot and Thwackey use U-turn and bring in a Ghost-type teammate.
Bring Kadabra in safely to revenge kill slower targets, and try to preserve its health so that it can utilize its Focus Sash late-game to stop opposing cleaners like Thwackey and Wartortle. Kadabra should be weary of attackers that can opt for coverage that bypasses Focus Sash, like Scale Shot Fraxure and Icicle Spear Piloswine, and should rely on walls like Galarian Corsola and Clefairy to scout. Wallbreakers like Choice Band Thwackey and Choice Specs Gastly wear down shared checks with Kadabra like Vullaby, Klang, and Ferroseed so that together they are likely to break past them. Entry hazards from Piloswine, Krokorok, and Roselia also help wear down the aforementioned checks, giving an opportunity for Kadabra to use Encore when they are forced to recover or use Defog in Vullaby's case. Pivots like Raboot, Thwackey, and Electabuzz bring Kadabra in against their checks, and they in turn rely on Kadabra for breaking bulky Pokemon like Mareanie, Golbat, and Roselia. Teleport Clefairy also pairs well with Kadabra, since it brings Kadabra in safely in order to preserve its Focus Sash throughout the course of the game.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Energy Ball can be considered for stronger coverage against Piloswine and Water-types such as specially defensive Wartortle. Protect is also optional for scouting and safely stalling out the turns of Thwackey's Grassy Terrain and Fraxure's First Impression. Psychic Terrain with Expanding Force makes for a situational late-game cleaner, with Expanding Force OHKOing more targets like Tangela and providing an immunity to priority attacks from Piloswine and Gurdurr; other setters for Psychic Terrain like Slowpoke also helps. This set still struggles to sweep when facing Thwackey, Kadabra's defensive checks like Defog Vullaby, and Choice Scarf revenge killers. Choice Specs and Trick offers both more power against walls, but the Choice-lock is a heavy price to pay for a small buff compared to Life Orb's damage output.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Ferroseed and Klang are some of the best defensive answers to Kadabra thanks to their bulk and Kadabra's unthreatening coverage against them even if they lose their Eviolite. Metang works as an answer as well, and while it can be scared off due to Shadow Ball, it has a unique edge with Bullet Punch.
**Special Walls**: The bulkiest of special walls like Galarian Corsola, Vullaby, and Clefairy are able to take on Focus Sash Kadabra and fire back with Shadow Ball or Knock Off. However, Life Orb Kadabra is more likely to 2HKO these walls with chip damage, and Knock Off users ought to fear Counter from a healthy Focus Sash Kadabra.
**Revenge Killers**: Priority attackers like Thwackey and Piloswine bypass Kadabra's great Speed, and they are even switch-ins when healthy. Frailer priority users like Pikachu and Raboot as well as Choice Scarf users like Krokorok and Lampent are good offense checks when they have a safe switch into Kadabra.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ho3nConfirm3d, 231074]]
- Quality checked by: [[Marjane, 355753], [Jett, 226429]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Estronic, 240732]]
Last edited:
