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The respective box art Legendaries can be a significant factor that sways a fan’s choice of Pokemon game. In the Paldea region ofPokemon Scarlet and Violet, the choice is between Koraidon and Miraidon. Though Scarlet’s Koraidon may not shine as brightly asits formidable futuristic counterpart, you’d be wise not to underestimate the Winged King.
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Koraidon is a Fighting- and Dragon-type Pokemon, with the ability Orichalcum Pulse. Orichalcum Pulse is very similar to the ability Drought, summoning harsh sunlight for five turns when switching in. Orichalcum Pulse also has the added benefit of boosting the user’s Attack stat by 30% while harsh sunlight is active. Not only does this support Koraidon’s fellow past Paradox Pokemon, but it also accentuates Koraidon’s massive base 135 attack stat. Koraidon is fast and powerful, with respectable bulk that lets it take a hit if necessary. One thing Koraidon does have over Miraidon is flexibility; Koraidon’s Fighting-type attacks hit a lot more types for super-effective damage than Miraidon’s Electric-type, so Koraidon’s Collision Course will be powered up a lot more often. If you’re looking to add this mighty creature to your team, here are some suggested builds.
Fighting Or Fire?
One of the common arguments made against Koraidon is that its ability and associated field effects don’t empower one of its STAB types as Miraidon’s does. This is, unfortunately, true.Harsh sunlight empowers Fire-type attacks and weakens Water-type attacks, which Koraidon already resists thanks to its Dragon-typing.While Koraidon’s Collision Course may not hit as hard as Miraidon’s Electro Drift, this does also afford Koraidon a tad more flexibility.
Orichalcum Pulse’s harsh sunlight effectively grants Koraidon a third STAB, which can be empowered further through Terastallyzing.A sun-boosted Tera Fire Flare Blitz coming off Koraidon’s 135 base attack, boosted further by Orichalcum Pulse, will absolutely shred through anything in its path.With a Choice Band and the aforementioned boosts, Koraidon can even knock out a Toxapex with two Flare Blitzes!
Know Your Type Match-Ups
Koraidon’s Fighting- and Dragon-typing affords it several key resistances and weaknesses that can play a pivotal role in the Uber tier. Firstly, though, the elephant in the room:Koraidon has a devastating 4x weakness to Fairy.4x weaknesses are already a problem, but it’s also important to remember who else is in the Uber tier alongside Koraidon - namely, Flutter Mane.Flutter Mane is not onlya Fairy-type to be reckoned with, but is also just as fast and is immune to both of Koraidon’s STAB types.
While Koraidon can hit back with Iron Head or Tera Blast, Flutter Mane will be a huge hurdle any Koraidon player will need to consider. Terastyllizing into a Fire-type can help, as Fire resists Flutter Mane’s Fairy-type attacks. With both Orichalcum Pulse and Tera Fire, Koraidon can easily score a KO even with moves as weak as Flame Charge.
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Power And Speed
Much like its counterpart, Koraidon’s MO is all about hitting fast, and hitting hard.Koraidon’s Fighting- and Dragon-typing allows it to hit all but Fairy-types for a minimum of neutral damage, as well as hitting six types for Super Effective damage. Koraidon has a base Attack and Speed of 135, with its attack being boosted further in sun.
Speaking of sun, Koraidon also gets an effective third STAB in Fire, rounding out its ability to hit the entire type chart for neutral damage and providing a potential resistance to Fairy through Terastyllization. Koraidon shares its speed tier with three members of the Uber tier: Miraidon, Chien-Pao, and Flutter Mane.Koraidon can boost its speed with a Choice Scarf or moves like Flame Charge, allowing it to outspeed and score a KO.
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Recommended Builds For Koraidon
Now that we’ve gone over what makes Koraidon tick, let’s take a look at some builds that can help it truly shine on the battlefield.
Koraidon: Leftovers Build
Koraidon’s Collision Course is a reliable source of damage, with Iron Head being a viable alternative in order to hit Fairy-types.Dragon Claw can hit non-Fairies for neutral damage, and Flame Charge can be used to gain speed and beat competitors like Miraidon or Flutter Mane. Of course, Koraidon’s massive attack can be bolstered further with Swords Dance. Though this build requires a bit of set-up, it can yield great results.
Koraidon: Choice Scarf Build
If you’re looking for more immediate results, look no further. Choice Scarf allows Koraidon to immediately outspeed Flutter Mane, Chien-Pao, and Miraidon.Close Combat can be chosen over Collision Course for more reliable high-damage hits, and a Tera Fire-boosted Flare Blitz will cleave through any potential threats.If you’re faced with a dangerous threat, you may pivot with U-Turn into another Pokemon.
Koraidon: Life Orb Build
This build lets Koraidon break through bulky walls and deal ridiculous damage. A combination of Swords Dance, Life Orb, Orichalcum Pulse, and harsh sun will absolutely melt anything that stands in the way of your Flare Blitz, andthe very powerful Close Combatis always useful for breaking through walls. For that handy Ground-type coverage, Stomping Tantrum can be used.
Next:Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Iron Valiant Build Guide
