TYPE: Ice
PROS: When using an mono-Ice team, you should always use a Hail team. Hail is what provides the extra
oomph for an otherwise bad type. But with Hail, you gain 100% accurate, 180 base power Blizzards. Another benefit is the 6% damage to non-ice types, paired with abilities that enhance stalling in Snow Cloak and Ice Body.
CONS: Ice is a con in and of itself. It's the worst defensive type in the game, being weak to very common attacking types. Rock (Stealth Rock), Fire, Fighting, and Steel is an awful palette of weaknesses to have. Couple that with only 1 resist (Ice), and you're already fighting an uphill battle.
NOTABLE MEMBERS:
Abomasnow: This should always be your 1st Pokemon. Snow Warning summons a permanent hailstorm for your team. Abomasnow has some decent variety in its movepool, such as Focus Punch, Leech Seed, and STAB Grass attacks to hurt Water types trying to absorb Blizzards. Sadly, the secondary Grass type doesn't help with any of the weaknesses of Ice, but does provide more opportunities to switch in on Politoed, and a few other common Rain sweepers.
Cloyster: One of the only Ice-typed "sweepers" available. It can attempt a sweep with Shell Smash, or provide team support with Rapid Spin, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes.
Cryogonal: Cryogonal is your best bet at a Rapid Spinner. Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes especially are a large thorn in the side of the stallish nature of Hail teams. Cryogonal is an excellent Special Tank, and can use Recover to be able to spin for your team again later.
Froslass: Froslass is another almost mandatory addition to an Ice team. Sporting a very valuable Fighting immunity, high speed, Snow Cloak, and Spikes, Froslass provides excellent support. A combination of Substitute, Thunder Wave, Blizzard, and a little luck can be lethal to any team.
Glaceon: Glaceon is tied with Kyurem for the strongest available Blizzard, with 130 Special Attack. There aren't many other reasons to use it, except maybe Wish, or an additional chance to end a sure sweep (via Snow Cloak), but both are unreliable.
Kyurem: Kyurem is the Ice-typed wrecking ball. With 130 in both attacking stats, dual 180 base power STABS in Blizzard and Outrage, as well as the 210 base power Draco Meteor, Kyurem can power through even the bulkiest of Pokemon. It has decent speed, but struggles with speedy sweepers such as Terakion, and all forms of entry hazards.
Mamoswine: Mamoswine is another Ice-typed mainstay, being one of only 2 in the OU tier. Mamo provides a much needed attack from the physical side. with STAB Earthquake and priority in Ice Shard, as well as support via Stealth Rock and Roar. Snow Cloak helps get an occasional extra hit in on a threatening sweeper, and Endeavor can be used while at low health to bring any opponent into KO range.
Rotom-Freeze: Rotom's refrigerator forme is another good support choice. STAB Volt Switch, Will-o-Wisp, and a decent recovery option in Pain Split with good bulk can really help play around certain threats.
Walrein: Although it has a worse typing, Walrein has greater bulk than Swampert, thanks to its 110 HP stat. And with Ice Body and Leftovers, and Substitute and Protect, "Stallrein" can do just that. It can stall anything the opponent throws at it, provided it gets the first Substitute up, for 32 entire turns. If you can manage to keep Cloyster's Toxic Spikes up, Walrein can stall as all of your opponent's grounded Pokemon die slowly and painfully.
TYPE SYNERGY: (I added to this a bit, more of an overall list of some resistances)
- Immune to Fighting: Froslass
- Immune to Ground: Articuno, Cryogonal, Delibird, Rotom-F
- Immune to Electric: Mamoswine
- Neutral to Fighting: Articuno, Delibird, Jynx
- Neutral to Fire: Kyurem, Cloyster, Dewgong, Lapras, Walrein, Mamoswine (Thick Fat)
- Neutral to Rock: Mamoswine
- Neutral to Steel: Cloyster, Dewgong, Lapras, Walrein, Rotom-F
- Resistant to Fire: Dewgong (Thick Fat), Walrein (Thick Fat)
Sorry the in-depth paragraphs got a little worse towards the end. If I missed anything, feel free to tell me/edit it, and I'll try to fix it when I get time.