S
SilverManiac
So... I've been using this team for a while, and it's had its fair share of wins and losses. With plenty of Pokemon rotations in and out of the team, this is what I've come to a crossroads at. I chose hail solely for the fact that it isn't seen as often, and very little pokemon in the metagame will actually benefit from it, due to the fact Mamoswine now runs Thick Fat, and ice types aren't commonly seen outside of Cloyster. In any case, here's my team as it stands right now:
Abomasnow
SubSeeder, Holding Leftovers
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 Defence, 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed
Modest Nature (+SpAtk, -Atk)
-Blizzard
-Giga Drain
-Leech Seed
-Substitute
Here's a familiar face when it comes to Hail: our big ol' huggable Abomasnow! On a hail team, he's pretty much needed 100% (Unless you're running Evio Snover, and who does that?). I went with attacking EV's and an offensive yet stall worthy set, because Blizzard packs a punch and has 100% accuracy in hail, Giga Drain heals immensely, as well as offering reliable 2HKO's on Politoed, and based on its performance, it has been able to stall out the likes of Cresselia and other such Pokemon. He's built this way to be as fast as possible without Timid, which doesn't really do much, other than ensure I'm slower than Ninetales so I get hail up, yet slower than most variants of Tyranitar and Politoed, allowing me to hit back or make a reliable switch. Aboma will always outspeed Hippowdon, bar a choice scarf Hippowdon.
Froslass
ParaFuzor, Holding Focus Sash
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 4 Defence, 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed
Timid Nature (+Speed, -Atk)
-Blizzard
-Thunder Wave
-Confuse Ray
-Destiny Bond
Ah Froslass. It seems like the only reason I use you is to frustrate people. With its speed maxed out, it can outspeed a lot of common threats, and with Focus Sash, even those that are faster have to make a tough decision: attack and lose a pokemon, or switch out and force mind games? Most of the time, if the pokemon is faster, I'll thunder wave first, so I can destiny bond before they strike. Blizzard off of Froslass' acceptable special attack nets a lot of kills, especially after being stalled out from Thunder Wave, and Confuse Ray. Speaking of Confuse Ray, it forces switches a lot of the time, due to people not risking the 50% attack chance, when coupled with Thunder Wave, that chance grows even smaller. Definitely good to keep around, especially considering its Ghost typing, it can effectively stop Conkeldurr if pulled off correctly. The mistress of mayhem definitely holds a place in my team well.
Mamoswine
All Out Attacks! Holding Life Orb
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 4 Hit Points, 252 Attack, 252 Speed
Jolly Nature (+Speed, -SpAtk)
-Ice Shard
-Icicle Crash
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
This big mammoth is the Physical Powerhouse of the team. Almost 100% of the time, Ice Shard is all that is needed to take out pesky Dragon types, as well as Gliscor. It also does massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it. It's so useful, Icicle Crash is rarely used. It's there just in case I need to hit bulkier Ground, Grass, or other types that may not die instantly to Ice Shard. Stone Edge is just there for coverage, as its shaky accuracy is discerning, as everything it hits is mostly covered by ice and ground. Earthquake shatters fire types and rock types in two, sometimes even after Mamo is burned. Snow Cloak is picked over Thick Fat, because even with Thick Fat, it wasn't surviving any fire attacks. Most are fired from higher Special Attack pokemon anyway, so Hax is always useful.
Hitmontop
Spinning Kick Support, Holding Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 32 Special Defence, 252 Hit Points, 224 Defence
Relaxed Nature (+Defence, -Speed)
-Rapid Spin
-Hi-Jump Kick
-Sucker Punch
-Foresight
With the lack of Physical options on the team, and the immediate need for a spinner, Hitmontop rose up and claimed a spot. Its got a lot of bulk, and takes numerous attacks with ease. With Foresight, it can spin through even ghost types not named Gengar (they will outspeed and ohko with Psychic), or even kick them into oblivion. Numerous sets say to use Close Combat, but I never understood that, since Hi-Jump Kick, though risky, doesn't hinder your defences should it hit. Both have their drawbacks, but Hi-Jump Kick gives more power where it is needed, when it is needed. Sucker Punch gives Hitmontop priority and an ability to hit enemy ghost types, though Hitmontop will only really be in on bulky Ghost types to get rid of pesky spikes. Sucker Punch DOES dent frail ghosts though, such as the aforementioned Gengar, as well as hitting Psychic types hard. -Speed lowers Gyro Ball damage, since it is commonly seen, even though, it's not really something that people will be hitting Hitmontop with anyway.
Magneton
Steel Type Bane, Holding Air Balloon
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 76 Hit Points, 252 Special Attack, 180 Speed
Timid Nature (+Speed, -Atk)
-Hidden Power Fire
-Thunderbolt
-Signal Beam
-Volt Switch
I know what you're thinking. "Why use Magneton over Magnezone, and not use Eviolite?" The answer is simple. Magneton may have weaker defences, and slightly lower Special Attack, but it's faster than its evolution. With the given spread, it arrives at 242 speed, enough to JUST outspeed Timid pokemon in the base 60 group with max EV's. A lot of the Base 60 pokemon don't even stack Speed ev's in the first place. This Magneton is my best option for dealing with Scizor, since my entire team suffered from it before its arrival. With Magnet Pull, Pokemon lacking Shed Shell, a switching move, or Whirlwind/Roar will be helpless to switch provided they are Steel type. Its ability to trap and kill Skarmory with Thunderbolt, or trap a Scizor using Bullet Punch and hit back with HP Fire just adds to its usefulness. Maybe it's able to stop a Banded Metagross using Earthquake cold due to that Air Balloon? It even stops opposing Magnezone, since they're outsped by it. Magnezone is not without its faults though, since even with the balloon, it, like the rest of the team, suffers from the ailment of heat, but outside of this, it does its job, and it does it well. And... Just look at it! It's so much more visually appealing than Magnezone!
Kyurem
Great Chasm's Icy Terror, Holding Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Hit Points, 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed
Timid Nature (+Speed, -Atk)
-Blizzard
-Earth Power
-Focus Blast
-Draco Meteor
Perhaps the deadliest Pokemon on the team, this monstrosity is a great boon to Hail teams everywhere. Though its typing isn't good in general, since Ice's one and only resistance is negated due to its Dragon typing, the sheer power it has is amazing. Blizzard has the same accuracy as Focus Blast, so even without hail, it's a decent choice if I'm trying to clean up a team, but when Hail is around, it'll almost never miss (Enemy Snow Cloak users, and *snicker* Sand Attack users are the exception). Focus Blast, though shaky, takes care of anything it can hit super effectively, and is useful if the opponent has water types left and I don't want to get stuck into Draco Meteor. Speaking of which, off of that 359 Special Attack Kyurem has, almost nothing will survive a Draco Meteor. Sometimes, even at -2, it does enough damage to severely dent the next pokemon, and has a great chance at OHKOing some Dragon Types as well (-2 Special Attack, when factoring in Super Effective damage, hits opposing dragon types for neutral damage). Earth Power is obligatory coverage, since even when hitting for Super Effective damage, Blizzard is just as strong due to STAB, so it's only ever really used on Steel Types and Fire Types that resist ice attacks. He's sturdy enough to survive Scraggy's Hi-Jump Kick, and a Mach Punch from Conkeldurr, and hit back hard. I have no idea what I could replace Kyurem with, he's just THAT strong.
Abomasnow
SubSeeder, Holding Leftovers
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 Defence, 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed
Modest Nature (+SpAtk, -Atk)
-Blizzard
-Giga Drain
-Leech Seed
-Substitute
Here's a familiar face when it comes to Hail: our big ol' huggable Abomasnow! On a hail team, he's pretty much needed 100% (Unless you're running Evio Snover, and who does that?). I went with attacking EV's and an offensive yet stall worthy set, because Blizzard packs a punch and has 100% accuracy in hail, Giga Drain heals immensely, as well as offering reliable 2HKO's on Politoed, and based on its performance, it has been able to stall out the likes of Cresselia and other such Pokemon. He's built this way to be as fast as possible without Timid, which doesn't really do much, other than ensure I'm slower than Ninetales so I get hail up, yet slower than most variants of Tyranitar and Politoed, allowing me to hit back or make a reliable switch. Aboma will always outspeed Hippowdon, bar a choice scarf Hippowdon.
Froslass
ParaFuzor, Holding Focus Sash
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 4 Defence, 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed
Timid Nature (+Speed, -Atk)
-Blizzard
-Thunder Wave
-Confuse Ray
-Destiny Bond
Ah Froslass. It seems like the only reason I use you is to frustrate people. With its speed maxed out, it can outspeed a lot of common threats, and with Focus Sash, even those that are faster have to make a tough decision: attack and lose a pokemon, or switch out and force mind games? Most of the time, if the pokemon is faster, I'll thunder wave first, so I can destiny bond before they strike. Blizzard off of Froslass' acceptable special attack nets a lot of kills, especially after being stalled out from Thunder Wave, and Confuse Ray. Speaking of Confuse Ray, it forces switches a lot of the time, due to people not risking the 50% attack chance, when coupled with Thunder Wave, that chance grows even smaller. Definitely good to keep around, especially considering its Ghost typing, it can effectively stop Conkeldurr if pulled off correctly. The mistress of mayhem definitely holds a place in my team well.
Mamoswine
All Out Attacks! Holding Life Orb
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 4 Hit Points, 252 Attack, 252 Speed
Jolly Nature (+Speed, -SpAtk)
-Ice Shard
-Icicle Crash
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
This big mammoth is the Physical Powerhouse of the team. Almost 100% of the time, Ice Shard is all that is needed to take out pesky Dragon types, as well as Gliscor. It also does massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it. It's so useful, Icicle Crash is rarely used. It's there just in case I need to hit bulkier Ground, Grass, or other types that may not die instantly to Ice Shard. Stone Edge is just there for coverage, as its shaky accuracy is discerning, as everything it hits is mostly covered by ice and ground. Earthquake shatters fire types and rock types in two, sometimes even after Mamo is burned. Snow Cloak is picked over Thick Fat, because even with Thick Fat, it wasn't surviving any fire attacks. Most are fired from higher Special Attack pokemon anyway, so Hax is always useful.
Hitmontop
Spinning Kick Support, Holding Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 32 Special Defence, 252 Hit Points, 224 Defence
Relaxed Nature (+Defence, -Speed)
-Rapid Spin
-Hi-Jump Kick
-Sucker Punch
-Foresight
With the lack of Physical options on the team, and the immediate need for a spinner, Hitmontop rose up and claimed a spot. Its got a lot of bulk, and takes numerous attacks with ease. With Foresight, it can spin through even ghost types not named Gengar (they will outspeed and ohko with Psychic), or even kick them into oblivion. Numerous sets say to use Close Combat, but I never understood that, since Hi-Jump Kick, though risky, doesn't hinder your defences should it hit. Both have their drawbacks, but Hi-Jump Kick gives more power where it is needed, when it is needed. Sucker Punch gives Hitmontop priority and an ability to hit enemy ghost types, though Hitmontop will only really be in on bulky Ghost types to get rid of pesky spikes. Sucker Punch DOES dent frail ghosts though, such as the aforementioned Gengar, as well as hitting Psychic types hard. -Speed lowers Gyro Ball damage, since it is commonly seen, even though, it's not really something that people will be hitting Hitmontop with anyway.
Magneton
Steel Type Bane, Holding Air Balloon
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 76 Hit Points, 252 Special Attack, 180 Speed
Timid Nature (+Speed, -Atk)
-Hidden Power Fire
-Thunderbolt
-Signal Beam
-Volt Switch
I know what you're thinking. "Why use Magneton over Magnezone, and not use Eviolite?" The answer is simple. Magneton may have weaker defences, and slightly lower Special Attack, but it's faster than its evolution. With the given spread, it arrives at 242 speed, enough to JUST outspeed Timid pokemon in the base 60 group with max EV's. A lot of the Base 60 pokemon don't even stack Speed ev's in the first place. This Magneton is my best option for dealing with Scizor, since my entire team suffered from it before its arrival. With Magnet Pull, Pokemon lacking Shed Shell, a switching move, or Whirlwind/Roar will be helpless to switch provided they are Steel type. Its ability to trap and kill Skarmory with Thunderbolt, or trap a Scizor using Bullet Punch and hit back with HP Fire just adds to its usefulness. Maybe it's able to stop a Banded Metagross using Earthquake cold due to that Air Balloon? It even stops opposing Magnezone, since they're outsped by it. Magnezone is not without its faults though, since even with the balloon, it, like the rest of the team, suffers from the ailment of heat, but outside of this, it does its job, and it does it well. And... Just look at it! It's so much more visually appealing than Magnezone!
Kyurem
Great Chasm's Icy Terror, Holding Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Hit Points, 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed
Timid Nature (+Speed, -Atk)
-Blizzard
-Earth Power
-Focus Blast
-Draco Meteor
Perhaps the deadliest Pokemon on the team, this monstrosity is a great boon to Hail teams everywhere. Though its typing isn't good in general, since Ice's one and only resistance is negated due to its Dragon typing, the sheer power it has is amazing. Blizzard has the same accuracy as Focus Blast, so even without hail, it's a decent choice if I'm trying to clean up a team, but when Hail is around, it'll almost never miss (Enemy Snow Cloak users, and *snicker* Sand Attack users are the exception). Focus Blast, though shaky, takes care of anything it can hit super effectively, and is useful if the opponent has water types left and I don't want to get stuck into Draco Meteor. Speaking of which, off of that 359 Special Attack Kyurem has, almost nothing will survive a Draco Meteor. Sometimes, even at -2, it does enough damage to severely dent the next pokemon, and has a great chance at OHKOing some Dragon Types as well (-2 Special Attack, when factoring in Super Effective damage, hits opposing dragon types for neutral damage). Earth Power is obligatory coverage, since even when hitting for Super Effective damage, Blizzard is just as strong due to STAB, so it's only ever really used on Steel Types and Fire Types that resist ice attacks. He's sturdy enough to survive Scraggy's Hi-Jump Kick, and a Mach Punch from Conkeldurr, and hit back hard. I have no idea what I could replace Kyurem with, he's just THAT strong.
