Kyurem (Black): Master League IV Guide

What this covers

• Kyurem (Black) against the Master League meta (PvPoke top-60).
• Attack, Defense, and HP IVs from 15 down to 12, compared to a perfect IV.
• The full grid of best-buddy / no-best-buddy, for you and for the meta.
• The minimum recommended IV spreads, and exactly what each gives up.

Terms to know

Breakpoint

An attack-stat threshold where your fast move deals 1 more damage to a specific opponent. Most impactful on fast moves that fire every turn.

Bulkpoint

A defense-stat threshold where a specific opponent's fast move deals 1 less damage to you.

CMP (charge-move priority)

When both Pokemon throw a charged move on the same turn, the one with the higher attack stat goes first. "CMP lost" means a lower attack IV drops you below an opponent's attack, so you would lose that simultaneous-throw.

Shields (you-opp)

Shield scenarios are written you-opp (your shields first). This guide covers all 9 ordered scenarios (0-0, 0-1, 0-2, 1-0, 1-1, 1-2, 2-0, 2-1, 2-2), so "you 2 / opp 1" (2-1) is distinct from "you 1 / opp 2" (1-2). Even energy, standard movesets.

BB (best buddy)

Best-buddy boost adds one level (L50 to L51). In Master League there is no CP cap, so that level fully applies.

Premium vs Thrifty IVs

Terminology from XehrFelrose (video). Defined here mechanically, not as a gameplay call: a Premium spread drops no matchups versus a perfect (hundo) IV spread in the stated case; a Thrifty spread drops only the matchups listed next to it. Whether those matchups matter is your call.

These terms and the breakdown that follows are adapted from XehrFelrose's Master League IV deep dives.

The build

This guide assumes Kyurem (Black) with its standard Master League moveset. Base stats atk 310 / def 183 / hp 245.

• Fast: DRAGON_TAIL
• Charged: FREEZE_SHOCK, FUSION_BOLT

Check my IVs

Paste one or more candidate spreads as atk/def/hp (for example 15/15/14, 15/14/15), and this builds a PvPoke-style matchups table showing only the matchups where those spreads differ. Spreads that agree everywhere are hidden, so the table stays scannable. This guide covers IVs 15 down to 12; the richest close-call detail is on spreads that drop a single stat. Enter two or more spreads and you also get a leftover-HP margin view (how much more convincingly each wins) and a ✦ marker for matchups that flip when you toggle your own best-buddy (L50 ↔ L51) in the selected Case.

Versus the Master League meta

Win/loss at a perfect IV on the 3 even shields (0-0, 1-1, 2-2), in the best buddy, vs a best-buddy meta case (you L51 vs opponents L51), vs the 60-strong Master top-60. The full per-shield picture is in the stat tables below.

Shield-dependent (split on even shields): Reshiram, Ursaluna, Eternatus, Reshiram (Shadow), Lugia, Lunala, Zamazenta (Crowned Shield), Ursaluna (Shadow), Zekrom, Garchomp (Shadow), Groudon, Keldeo (Resolute), Garchomp, Gyarados (Shadow), Palkia, Keldeo (Ordinary), Latios (Shadow), Giratina (Altered) (Shadow), Landorus (Therian), Kyurem, Gholdengo, Dragonite (Shadow), Latios, Giratina (Altered), Mewtwo (Shadow), Groudon (Shadow), Hydreigon (Shadow), Goodra, Latias (Shadow), Togekiss, Enamorus (Therian).

What best buddy changes (at a perfect IV)

Matchups best buddy (L51) gains over not best-buddying (L50), holding the meta's best-buddy status fixed. Even shields, perfect IV.

Attack IVs

Attack at a perfect IV: 274.7 at L51 (best buddy), 273.1 at L50. Each row drops only that one stat (the other two stay 15); matchups shown are those given up versus a perfect IV.

No best buddy, vs a non-best-buddy meta

No best buddy, vs a best-buddy meta

Best buddy, vs a non-best-buddy meta

Best buddy, vs a best-buddy meta

Defense IVs

Defense at a perfect IV: 167.4 at L51 (best buddy), 166.4 at L50. Each row drops only that one stat (the other two stay 15); matchups shown are those given up versus a perfect IV.

No best buddy, vs a non-best-buddy meta

No best buddy, vs a best-buddy meta

Best buddy, vs a non-best-buddy meta

Best buddy, vs a best-buddy meta

HP IVs

HP at a perfect IV: 219 at L51 (best buddy), 218 at L50. Each row drops only that one stat (the other two stay 15); matchups shown are those given up versus a perfect IV.

No best buddy, vs a non-best-buddy meta

No best buddy, vs a best-buddy meta

Best buddy, vs a non-best-buddy meta

Best buddy, vs a best-buddy meta

Recommended IVs

Every spread with all three IVs from 12 to 15 (the practical range above the 10/10/10 legendary catch floor), sorted so the spreads that drop nothing come first. "Premium" drops no matchups versus a perfect IV in the stated case; everything else lists exactly what it gives up. The first two tables compare against a best-buddied meta (the realistic, harder case); the last two against a non-best-buddied meta, which is strictly easier.

If you best buddy (L51), vs a best-buddy meta

CP and stats at L51; drops measured in the best-buddy vs best-buddy case.

If you do not best buddy (L50), vs a best-buddy meta

CP and stats at L50; drops measured in the no-best-buddy vs best-buddy case.

If you best buddy (L51), vs a non-best-buddy meta

CP and stats at L51; drops measured in the best-buddy vs no-best-buddy-meta case.

If you do not best buddy (L50), vs a non-best-buddy meta

CP and stats at L50; drops measured in the no-best-buddy vs no-best-buddy-meta case.

Method and caveats

• Simulator: this project's PvPoke-style 1v1 engine. A win is a higher 1v1 battle rating than the opponent.
• Opponents: opponent_pools/master_top60.txt, all modeled at a perfect IV. all 9 ordered shields, your-opp (0-0 .. 2-2).
• Master League has no CP cap, so L50 (regular) and L51 (best buddy) are pure level steps on both sides.
• Breakpoints/bulkpoints are for the fast move (DRAGON_TAIL); CMP uses the attack stat.
• Each matchup name links to that exact battle on pvpoke.com: this Kyurem (Black) at the row's IVs and level on the left, the opponent at a perfect 15/15/15 on the right, with the stated shields. Links not tied to a single shield count -- CMP, breakpoint/bulkpoint, and the perfect-IV summary lists (key wins/losses and best-buddy changes) -- use 1-1. Opponent movesets are PvPoke's Master defaults. PvPoke's engine closely matches this project's but can differ in edge cases, so an outcome may occasionally not line up exactly.
• Kyurem (Black) modeled with its standard Master League moveset. Data: scripts/iv_envelope_analysis.py; rendered by scripts/render_iv_envelope_article.py.
• Format, structure, and terminology adapted from XehrFelrose's Master League IV deep dives. The numbers are independently re-simulated, not lifted from the video.