KINGAMBIT
CHAMPIONS GUIDE
Kingambit (#983) is Regulation M-B's premier late-game sweeper at 20% usage, dominating endgame through Dark/Steel dual typing and Supreme Overlord's stacking Attack boost. Under Trick Room its base 50 Speed becomes a weapon — slow enough to move first and hit nearly 500 Attack with fainted allies fueling its rampage.
Overview & Role
Supreme Overlord is the engine: each fainted ally provides +10% Attack (up to +50% at 5 KOs). With 32 SP Attack investment, effective Attack climbs near 500 in late-game — making Kowtow Cleave virtually impossible to wall out.
Base 50 Speed makes Kingambit a natural Trick Room attacker — it moves first under TR. Pair with Mega Camerupt (base 20) or Mega Slowbro (base 30) to set TR, and Kingambit can sweep entire teams across 5 turns with zero Speed investment required.
- Immune to Poison & Psychic — Steel-type immunity to Poison and Psychic moves; blocks Whimsicott's powder moves and Psychic threats.
- Fairy-type counter — Steel STAB is immune to Fairy and deals super-effective damage; hard-counters Flutter Mane, Gardevoir, and Fairy threats.
- Kowtow Cleave never misses — Kowtow Cleave has perfect accuracy with Dark STAB, completely bypassing evasion boosts and accuracy drops — the most reliable main attacker in doubles.
Base Stats
| Stat | Value | Bar |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 100 | |
| Attack | 135 | |
| Defense | 120 | |
| Sp. Atk | 60 | |
| Sp. Def | 85 | |
| Speed | 50 | |
| BST | 550 | Base Stat Total |
SP Spreads
Maximizes Attack while HP and Defense investment ensures Kingambit survives long enough for Supreme Overlord to stack. The dominant meta configuration.
Zero Speed investment — deliberately keep base 50 to move first under TR. Slightly more Defense to handle physical threats without sacrificing sweep power.
Swap to Defiant ability when facing Intimidate-heavy teams. Opponent's Intimidate triggers Defiant's +2 Attack, turning a liability into a free setup turn. Extra Defense handles physical pressure.
Speed reminder: Never invest SP into Kingambit's Speed. Base 50 is the whole point — any Speed investment risks moving after slower Pokémon under Trick Room and defeats the purpose of the TR sweep strategy.
Moveset Options
- ▸Kowtow CleaveDark · perfect accuracy STAB85 BP Dark STAB that never misses — ignores accuracy/evasion modifiers
- ▸Iron HeadSteel · 30% flinch80 BP Steel STAB, 30% flinch chance, destroys Fairy-types
- ▸Sucker PunchDark · priority70 BP Dark priority — only triggers if opponent is using an attacking move
- ▸Protectdoubles essentialShield while partner sets TR; scout moves and deny chip damage
- Ability
- Supreme Overlord (standard)
- Item
- Black Glasses / Life Orb
- SP
- 32 Atk / 22 HP / 12 Def
- ▸Kowtow CleaveDark · primaryNever misses; devastating after Swords Dance activation
- ▸Iron HeadSteel · STABAfter +2 Atk, OHKOs virtually all Fairy-types
- ▸Swords Dancesetup +2 AtkUse when opponent Protects or during TR setup turns
- ▸Low KickFighting · coverageVariable power vs heavy Pokémon; hits Incineroar hard
Run when facing heavy Protect or stall teams. Swords Dance fires on wasted turns to stack +2 Attack alongside Supreme Overlord's passive boost — doubling up offensive pressure. If opponents attack to prevent setup, Kowtow Cleave or Sucker Punch punish them directly.
Team Synergy
Base 20 Speed is near-bottom in the format, ensuring it always moves last under TR. Fire coverage handles Grass-type checks and Steel threats.
Base 30 Speed with Natural Cure recovery creates a sturdier TR core. Better defensive typing than Camerupt for more consistent setup turns.
Fake Out gives Kingambit a free turn for Swords Dance or Kowtow Cleave. Intimidate softens physical hits. On Defiant builds, Incineroar's Intimidate actually triggers +2 Attack.
Rage Powder funnels attacks away from Kingambit; Spore puts threats to sleep creating free Swords Dance or setup turns. The classic TR support pairing.
For non-TR variants, Drizzle Tailwind gives Kingambit speed support while rain weakens Fire-type threats. Provides team building flexibility outside pure TR builds.
In bring-6-pick-4, TR teams typically lead Mega Camerupt + Amoonguss — Camerupt sets TR while Amoonguss Spores the biggest threat. Kingambit enters from the back once TR is established, by which point Supreme Overlord already has 1–2 KO stacks and immediately becomes a dangerous sweeper.
How to Play Kingambit
Lead Mega Camerupt or Mega Slowbro to set Trick Room, supported by Incineroar Fake Out to stabilize the opening. Kingambit stays in the back — let your lead Pokémon absorb damage and faint to fuel Supreme Overlord.
Let front-row Pokémon complete their jobs and faint. This is not misplay — it's the plan. Each KO grants +10% Attack. At 2–3 fainted allies, you have +20–30% Attack on top of 32 SP investment — already threatening.
Bring Kingambit in with 3+ turns of TR remaining. It now moves first. Use Kowtow Cleave (never misses) as the primary move; switch to Iron Head against Fairy-types. If the opponent uses Protect, immediately use Swords Dance to stack further.
If TR expires or opponents outspeed, switch to Sucker Punch to pre-empt attacking moves. At 5 fainted allies, Supreme Overlord's +50% boost makes Kowtow Cleave almost unwallable even without TR speed advantage.
Most common beginner mistake: bringing Kingambit in too early. Entering turns 1–2 means only 0–1 Supreme Overlord stacks — a massive waste of its late-game potential. Patience is everything. Let your team do their job first.
Counters & Checks
The most effective anti-Kingambit strategy is eliminating TR setters before they can establish Trick Room, or holding an Earthquake user (Garchomp) as a constant switch-in threat. Once TR expires and Supreme Overlord reaches 4–5 stacks, countering it becomes nearly impossible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kingambit have a Mega Evolution in Pokémon Champions?+
Which ability is better — Supreme Overlord or Defiant?+
How many SP should I put in Speed for Kingambit?+
What is the best Trick Room partner for Kingambit?+
Optimize Your Kingambit Build
Use the SP optimizer to allocate your 66-point budget, confirm Trick Room speed tiers with the Speed Calculator, or explore Kingambit's best partner combinations in the Pair Analyzer.