Restricted Legendary — Regulation F

Koraidon
VGC Guide

Koraidon is one of the premier restricted legends in Regulation D/F, leveraging Orichalcum Pulse’s sun boost for overwhelming physical output. This guide covers its core mechanics, best builds, and team strategies.

135
Base Attack
135
Base Speed
670
Total BST
S-Tier
Reg D Tier

Orichalcum Pulse: Ability Breakdown

Ability Effects
☀️

Sets Harsh Sunlight on entry (5 turns)

No Sun move required — Koraidon brings its own weather. If the field already has weather (Rain, Sand, etc.), Orichalcum Pulse is suppressed until that weather expires.

Boosts Attack ×1.3333 (4/3) in Sun

This is a free Mega Evolution Attack boost. Koraidon’s 135 base Attack becomes effectively ~180 under sun, making Fire and Fighting coverage moves devastatingly powerful.

Damage Example: Sun Sacred Fire vs Iron Hands
Koraidon Atk (252 EVs Adamant) = 216 → ×4/3 in Sun ≈ 288 effective Attack
Sacred Fire Power 100, Fire STAB ×1.5, Sun Fire boost ×1.5
Result: Near-guaranteed OHKO on most non-Rock/Water Pokémon

Best Movesets

Physical Attacker (Standard)
Sacred Fire(Fire)
Primary STAB; massive damage in Sun, 50% burn chance
Close Combat / Collision Course(Fighting)
Best Fighting STAB; Collision Course is the signature move with a boost vs super effective
Aerial Ace / Flying STAB(Flying)
Coverage vs Fighting; reliable in Doubles
Protect(Normal)
Doubles staple; shields from focused fire
ItemLife Orb / Choice Band
AbilityOrichalcum Pulse
NatureAdamant (+Atk / -Sp.Atk)
EVs252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Bulky Attacker Variant
252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe · Adamant

Sacrifices Speed creep headroom for higher survival rate. Best when Tailwind support makes raw Speed less critical.

4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe · Jolly

Jolly ensures outspeeding other 135-base Pokémon (Flutter Mane, Calyrex-Shadow) in neutral Speed matchups.

Team Building Framework

Koraidon team building revolves around three core needs: (1) Weather Defense — Kyogre’s Rain is the biggest threat; (2) Speed Control — Tailwind support makes Koraidon’s offensive pressure more consistent; (3) Weakness Coverage — Ground, Fairy, and Psychic weaknesses need partner coverage.

Koraidon Tailwind

Standard
Koraidon + Tailwind setter (Tornadus or Flutter Mane)

Most consistent Koraidon archetype. Tailwind doubles Speed, making Koraidon reach 270 effective Speed — outspeeding nearly everything. Sun + Tailwind creates overwhelming offensive pressure.

Sun Offense

Themed
Koraidon + Chlorophyll attacker (Venusaur / Torkoal)

Koraidon’s sun powers up a Chlorophyll partner’s Speed to double. Creates two independent offensive threats under the same weather. Sp.Atk also gets a 1.5× sun boost, adding special pressure.

Intimidate Core

Reliable
Koraidon + Incineroar + Ground immunity

Traditional restricted legendary structure: raw power + Intimidate softening + Fake Out windows. Incineroar’s Parting Shot cycle gives Koraidon repeated safe entry opportunities.

Key Team Members

Tornadus (Tailwind setter)
Flying

Elite Tailwind setter. Prankster-boosted Taunt and Bleakwind Storm provide Fake Out-immune disruption alongside Tailwind.

Incineroar
Fire/Dark

Intimidate + Fake Out + Parting Shot support loop. Creates safe windows for Koraidon to enter and attack freely.

Raichu (rain counter)
Electric

Lightning Rod redirects Electric attacks. Fake Out + Volt Tackle combination counters Kyogre rain cores, removing Koraidon’s biggest weather threat.

Venusaur (Chlorophyll)
Grass/Poison

Doubles Speed under Koraidon’s sun. Petal Blizzard + Sleep Powder under sun creates a secondary threat the opponent must respect.

Weaknesses & Counters

Threat
Kyogre (Rain + Water)
Weakness
4× Water weakness
Response
Pair with Lightning Rod (Tornadus-T / Raichu) to redirect Origin Pulse, or Grass-type to absorb.
Threat
Flutter Mane (Fairy)
Weakness
Fairy weakness
Response
Dark-type partners (Incineroar) or Poison coverage moves address Flutter Mane directly.
Threat
Sandstorm (weather war)
Weakness
Sun gets suppressed
Response
Use Incineroar Parting Shot to stall opponent weather, then re-enter Koraidon to reset sun.
Threat
Ground moves (Earthquake)
Weakness
Ground weakness
Response
Pair with Levitate / Flying-type immune to Ground. Position spread carefully in Doubles.

Analyze Your Koraidon Matchups

Use the PokeStats damage calculator to compute Koraidon’s exact damage ranges under sun against any opponent, and verify your EV targets.