Ninetales (Update)

Changes in bold
Removals in red
Comments in bold red

[Overview]

<p>While there is no shortage of Fire-types in UU, Ninetales has some unique attributes which help it stand out from the crowd. It boasts one of the largest movepools of any Fire-type, including assets like Nasty Plot, Hypnosis, and Energy Ball. This movepool combined with Ninetales' decent bulk and Special Attack also allows it to overcome the biggest threats to UU Fire-types: bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Milotic. These unique characteristics allow Ninetales to step out of the shadows of its more popular Fire-type brethren and take center stage as a powerful special attacker or status inducer.</p>

[SET]
name: Nasty Vixen
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 72 HP / 216 SpA / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Ninetales' flagship set, allowing Ninetales to act as an effective lure and counter (it can't switch in, can't OHKO without a boost, etc.)for bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Slowbro. With just a minor investment in its HP, Ninetales is able to take on and defeat its most prominent counters after a Nasty Plot boost. Fire Blast is Ninetales' best STAB move in terms of sweeping, especially since Ninetales won't be having the maximum Special Attack investment. Energy Ball is Ninetales' most important move, being the key reason it is able to take on Milotic and other Water-types. Hidden Power Rock is for Altaria and opposing Fire-types, like Arcanine and Moltres. Fire + Grass + Rock also gets perfect coverage in UU. Nasty Plot shouldn't require any explanation. After all, what would a Nasty Plot sweeper be without Nasty Plot?</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set is extremely specialized compared to Ninetales' other sets. The EV spread allows Ninetales to survive a 0 SpA Milotic's Surf 100% of the time, even after Stealth Rock damage thanks to Leftovers, and hit back with a +2 Energy Ball for a 2HKO. This means that most UU Water-types cannot defeat Ninetales after a Nasty Plot boost. Ninetales can also nab another power boost by switching into Fire-type attacks, thanks to its Flash Fire ability. This will make its Fire Blast very difficult to wall, especially after Nasty Plot.</p>

<p>Ninetales greatly appreciates Stealth Rock support, as it weakens most of its other counters to the point where Ninetales can easily KO them. Ninetales appreciates Pokemon that can weaken Water-types to make sweeping easier and lure Fire-types so it can grab a Flash Fire boost. Grass-types such as Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Leafeon are perfect for this. Toxicroak works as well, since its Dry Skin ability allows it to heal from switching into Water-type attacks. It also smites Ninetales biggest counters: Clefable and Chansey. However, Toxicroak may also lure in Ground-types, so be careful when using it.</p>

[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Hypnosis / Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With Nasty Plot, Ninetales is able to remedy its lackluster Special Attack, which soars to 522 after a +2 boost. Ninetales can abusing its Flash Fire ability to enter the battle without damage, and begin to set up against slower opponents. Hypnosis is a valuable (if somewhat unreliable) asset, as it can be used freely as your opponent switches out to a counter, and may grant Ninetales a free turn to Nasty Plot. This boost then makes Energy Ball and Fire Blast extremely powerful, taking down a majority of the tier. Those who are able to take these attacks (Moltres, Altaria, and other Flash Fire Pokémon) are the reasoning behind adding Hidden Power Rock to the moveset, even if its coverage does not outweigh Hypnosis's crippling effect. Its accuracy, however, will always be a problem, which makes Hidden Power Rock a more reliable option as well. (moved)</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Without Hypnosis, Ninetales will have a harder time boosting its Special Attack, since it will have to rely on predicted switches to obtain boosts without risking serious damage. Its accuracy, however, will always be a problem, which makes Hidden Power Rock another useful option; it stops other Flash Fire Pokémon from stopping your sweep and increasing Ninetales's sweeping potential. (this is just repeated from the last section..) Another option over Hypnosis is Substitute; Ninetales can boost its Special Attack from behind a Substitute without fearing status or damage. Since Ninetales's defenses are rather low, it is best to use attacks with high accuracy. However, Flamethrower may miss out on OHKOing standard Registeel, dealing between 87.9% - 103.8%, making Fire Blast the better choice. Energy Ball adds type coverage to Ninetales's movepool, deftly handling otherwise threatening Water- and Rock-types.</p>

<p>Life Orb is used to squeeze out all of Ninetales's sweeping potential, as it appreciates every bit of power it can get. If Hidden Power Rock is used over Hypnosis, Life Orb is definitely the only choice since Ninetales will be forcing less switches and will instantly reveal its item if it switches in against entry hazards. Also, if Hidden Power Rock is used, an EV spread of 36 HP / 252 SpA / 220 Spe is an option as well. Since Hidden Power Rock lowers Ninetales' Speed IV, running maximum Speed still won't allow you to tie with other Base 100 Speeds.</p>

<p>Ninetales works well as part of a Fire-Water-Grass team core. Helpful teammates include Venusaur, who is able to switch in and immediately threaten bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Slowbro. These same bulky Waters function well as teammates, since they can easily sponge attacks aimed at Ninetales and can threaten Altaria, who resists both Energy Ball and Fire Blast. Milotic becomes an even better choice should you forgo Hidden Power Rock, since it can check the likes of Altaria, Blaziken, Houndoom, and Moltres effectively. Blastoise is also a great Water-type teammate who is capable of adding not only defensive synergy to your team, but also Rapid Spin support - something Ninetales should have in order to sweep uninhibited.</p>

[SET]
name: Double Status
move 1: Hypnosis
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Energy Ball / Pain Split
move 4: Fire Blast / Overheat
item: Wide Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 184 HP / 104 SpD / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Ninetales's support movepool also allows it to pull off a double status set quite effectively. Hypnosis provides the sleep status that starts things off, while Will-O-Wisp cripples physical switch-ins looking to take Ninetales down on its weaker defensive stat. Energy Ball and your choice of STAB fill out the rest of the moveset, providing Ninetales with STAB and the best coverage it can get should it find an opportunity to pick off a foe. However, Pain Split can be used over Energy Ball if you feel that being able to heal off damage (albeit, somewhat unreliably) would be helpful.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Wide Lens is almost mandatory when using this set, due to Hypnosis and Will-O-Wisp's low accuracy. Since this Ninetales isn't looking to stay in and sweep, Overheat is a perfectly viable attack choice. Fire Blast is a better choice if you want Ninetales to function as both a supporter and a sweeper, since it doesn't lower Ninetales's Special Attack and it also appreciates the accuracy boost from Wide Lens (and Overheat doesn't?), with no Special Attack investment, however, this is still unlikely. The EV spread is designed to allow Ninetales to outrun Max Speed Base 95s such as Drapion while getting as much bulk out of the remainder.</p>

<p>This set's ideal teammates are the same as the Special Sweeper's, since the Fire-Water-Grass combination creates such strong team synergy. Specifically, Torterra is able to function well with Double Status Ninetales as it can set up Stealth Rock, which is very useful when using a set that causes as many switches as this one does. It is also suggested that your Water-type has the potential to overcome Morning Sun Arcanine, since it resists or is immune to three of the moves in the moveset. Using a Utility Blastoise with Roar is highly recommended, since it can shuffle your opponent's team and Rapid Spin away entry hazards that ruin Ninetales. Just be sure not to use Yawn in the third moveslot; it will fail if Ninetales has already put something to sleep.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Overheat / Fire Blast
move 2: Energy Ball
move 3: Extrasensory
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 252 SpA / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>One can avoid the shaky accuracy of Hypnosis and the hassle of setting up Nasty Plot boosts by having Ninetales hold a pair of Choice Specs. Overheat is more useful early-game, where Ninetales will be switching more often, while Fire Blast becomes a better choice late-game, where Ninetales will want to be sweeping unimpeded. Energy Ball does the same job here as it does on the other sets, cleaning up Rock- and bulky Water-types. Extrasensory, while not commonly seen, does give Ninetales a way to take down Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Blaziken. Hidden Power Rock helps out with other Fire-types as well as Flying-types.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EV spread allows Ninetales to outspeed base 95 Speed Pokémon, since the 30 Speed IV caused by Hidden Power Rock means outspeeding anything faster is impossible. The EVs left over are placed in HP, but could also be put back in Speed if opposing Ninetales are of concern. If you decide to use an attack other than Hidden Power Rock, a simple 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe spread could be adopted to reach the next Speed tier.</p>

<p>Being locked into a single move often results in a lot of switching, something no Fire-type enjoys doing with Stealth Rock around. Therefore, it is recommended that you add a Rapid Spinner to your team. Cloyster is able to fill this role and can also set up its own entry hazards to help make sweeping easier. Bulky Hitmontop is a fair choice too, since it can hit enemy Rock-types super effectively or employ a Foresight + Rapid Spin combination that can only be stopped by a double-Ghost team.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Ninetales is able to cause many switches thanks to its large movepool. In order to capitalize on these switches, include some sort of entry hazard in your team. Stealth Rock is the most obvious choice, with Spikes next. Omastar is a very capable Spiker, as is Cloyster. Stealth Rock can be added to your team by a variety of Pokémon including Donphan, Uxie, and Miltank. Uxie can also provide dual screen support, which can help remedy Ninetales' fragility. Clefable, Rotom, and Espeon are also good dual screeners to pair with Ninetales.</p>

<p>Taking down Clefable and Chansey is nigh impossible for Ninetales, which is why Hariyama is a good teammate. Its STAB Fighting-type attacks and Guts allow it to deftly handle these threats, along with Houndoom, who may try to nab a Flash Fire boost on the switch-in. Toxicroak can also defeat Clefable and Chansey while holding its own against bulky Water-types. It can also lure in Fire-type attacks for Ninetales' own Flash Fire ability.</p>

<p>Forming a solid Fire-Water-Grass core for your team is also a great way to benefit Ninetales, since these three types resist a large majority of attack types. Grass-types tend to be bulky by nature, which complements fragile Ninetales very well. Venusaur is the most popular Grass-type, thanks to its versatility, although other choices abound. Leafeon and Tangrowth have the same versatility as Venusaur plus a resistance to Ground-type attacks, but their stat distribution means they will be taking much more damage from special attacks. Water-types tend to be more diverse than Grass-types, which offers more in the way of team customization. More defensively inclined choices include Slowbro and Milotic, both being great choices thanks to their access to instant recovery moves and access to status. Lanturn lacks reliable recovery, but has many resistances and status options. Cloyster can lay entry hazards while providing defensive synergy with its high Defense in addition to Rapid Spin support. Rapid Spinning can also be done by Blastoise. Offensive choices include Kabutops, which can provide Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin support, Feraligatr, which is a formidable sweeper with Dragon Dance and Swords Dance + Aqua Jet, and Azumarill, and Poliwrath, which have solid bulk and the strong combination of Substitute and Focus Punch. All in all, your choice should come down to which Pokémon's strategy gels the best with the rest of your team.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>Ninetales has few other viable move choices, although some can prove useful. Dark Pulse has more coverage than Extrasensory but its damage output never exceeds that of a STAB Fire Blast or Overheat. Grudge can be useful against walls and sweepers to drain the PP of one of their attacks. Calm Mind is also available, but Nasty Plot's +2 Special Attack boost is much more useful on such a frail Pokémon.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Chansey is by far the best counter to Ninetales; her massive Special Defense and HP stats making brute force from offensive sets useless, while her ability, Natural Cure, erases any status effects Ninetales would have hoped to inflict. In a similar vein is Altaria, who has no problems sponging special attacks from Ninetales, and boasts Natural Cure as well. Unlike Chansey, it can also KO Ninetales back much faster with a super effective Earthquake. However, one must be wary of switching in Altaria after Ninetales gets a Nasty Plot boost; Hidden Power Rock will 2HKO Altaria after that with Stealth Rock damage. Clefable can survive a +2 LO Fire Blast from Ninetales and can cripple it with paralysis, but must beware of Hypnosis and will have trouble damaging Ninetales significantly. Thick Fat Hariyama will also be able to overpower Ninetales.</p>

<p>Flash Fire Pokémon like Arcanine and Houndoom are also decent answers to Ninetales, especially the Choice Specs set once it has locked itself into a Fire- or Grass-type attack. Blaziken, too, is able to switch in with relative ease and immediately threaten Ninetales with Stone Edge or Superpower. Substitute + Roost Moltres can also handle Ninetales thanks to Substitute and Toxic. Arcanine, Houndoom, and Moltres must be wary of Hidden Power Rock, while Blaziken must beware Extrasensory, however. Bulky Water-types should look to stop Ninetales before it nabs that +2 boost so Energy Ball loses its potency. Milotic can absorb status very well (even better if it is a RestTalk variant), as can the lesser-seen Mantine, which deserves a special mention as it is one of the few UU Water-types that is neutral to Energy Ball while still resisting Fire Blast. Lanturn can also deal with an unboosted Ninetales extremely well, since it can 2HKO any variant after Stealth Rock and eliminate status problems it might cause with Heal Bell.</p>

EonADS said:

[Overview]

<p>While there is no shortage of Fire-types in UU, Ninetales has some unique attributes which help it stand out from the crowd:(colon) It boasts one of the largest movepools of any Fire-type, including assets like Nasty Plot, Hypnosis, and Energy Ball. This movepool combined with Ninetales' decent bulk and Special Attack also allows it to overcome the biggest threats to UU Fire-types: bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Milotic. These unique characteristics allow Ninetales to step out of the shadows of its more popular Fire-type brethren and take center stage as a powerful special attacker or status inducer.</p>

[SET]
name: Nasty Vixen
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 72 HP / 216 SpA / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Ninetales' flagship set, allowing Ninetales to act as an effective lure for bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Slowbro. With a minor investment in its HP, Ninetales is able to take on and defeat its most prominent counters after a Nasty Plot boost. Fire Blast is Ninetales' best STAB move in terms of sweeping, especially since Ninetales won't be having the maximum Special Attack investment. Energy Ball is Ninetales' most important move, being the key reason it is able to take on Water-types. Hidden Power Rock is for Altaria and opposing Fire-types, like Arcanine and Moltres. Fire + Grass + Rock also gets perfect coverage in UU. Nasty Plot shouldn't require any explanation. After all, what would a Nasty Plot sweeper be without Nasty Plot?</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread allows Ninetales to survive a 0 SpA Milotic's Surf 100% of the time, even after Stealth Rock damage thanks to Leftovers, and hit back with a +2 Energy Ball for a 2HKO. Ninetales can also nab another power boost by switching into Fire-type attacks, thanks to its Flash Fire ability. This will make its Fire Blast very difficult to wall, especially after Nasty Plot.</p>

<p>Ninetales greatly appreciates Stealth Rock support, as it weakens most of its other counters to the point where Ninetales can easily KO them. Ninetales appreciates Pokemon that can weaken Water-types to make sweeping easier and lure Fire-types so it can grab a Flash Fire boost. Grass-types such as Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Leafeon are perfect for this. Toxicroak works as well, since its Dry Skin ability allows it to heal from switching into Water-type attacks. It also smites Ninetales biggest counters: Clefable and Chansey. However, Toxicroak may also lure in Ground-types, so be careful when using it.</p>

[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Hypnosis / Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With Nasty Plot, Ninetales is able to remedy its lackluster Special Attack, abusing its Flash Fire ability to enter the battle without damage, and begin to set up. Hypnosis is a valuable (if somewhat unreliable) asset, as it can be used freely as your opponent switches out to a counter, and may grant Ninetales a free turn to Nasty Plot. This boost then makes Energy Ball and Fire Blast extremely powerful, taking down a majority of the tier. [I think this is pretty "obvious" and un-needed]Those who are able to take these attacks (Moltres, Altaria, and other Flash Fire Pokémon) are the reasoning behind adding Hidden Power Rock to the moveset, even if its coverage does not outweigh Hypnosis's crippling effect. Its accuracy, however, will always be a problem, which makes Hidden Power Rock a more reliable option as well.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Another option over Hypnosis is Substitute; Ninetales can boost its Special Attack from behind a Substitute without fearing status or damage. Since Ninetales's defenses are rather low, it is best to use attacks with high accuracy. However, Flamethrower may miss out on OHKOing standard Registeel, dealing between 87.9% - 103.8%.</p>

<p>Life Orb is used to squeeze out all of Ninetales's sweeping potential, as it appreciates every bit of power it can get. If Hidden Power Rock is used over Hypnosis, Life Orb is definitely the only choice since Ninetales will be forcing less switches and will instantly reveal its item if it switches in against entry hazards. Also, if Hidden Power Rock is used, an EV spread of 36 HP / 252 SpA / 220 Spe is an option as well. Since Hidden Power Rock lowers Ninetales' Speed IV;(semi colon) running maximum Speed still won't allow you to tie with other base 100s Speeds.</p>

<p>Ninetales works well as part of a Fire-Water-Grass team core. Helpful teammates include Venusaur, who is able to can switch into and immediately threaten bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Slowbro. These same bulky Waters function well as teammates, since they can easily sponge attacks aimed at Ninetales and threaten Altaria, who resists both Energy Ball and Fire Blast. Milotic becomes an even better choice should you forgo Hidden Power Rock, since it can check the likes of Altaria, Blaziken, Houndoom, and Moltres effectively. Blastoise is also a great Water-type teammate who is capable of adding not only defensive synergy to your team, but also Rapid Spin support - something Ninetales should have in order to sweep uninhibited.</p>

[SET]
name: Double Status
move 1: Hypnosis
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Energy Ball / Pain Split
move 4: Fire Blast / Overheat
item: Wide Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 184 HP / 104 SpD / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Ninetales's support movepool also allows it to pull off a double status set quite effectively. Hypnosis provides the sleep status that starts things off, while Will-O-Wisp cripples physical switch-ins looking to take Ninetales down on its weaker defensive stat. Energy Ball and your choice of STAB fill out the rest of the moveset, providing Ninetales with the best coverage it can get should it find an opportunity to pick off a foe. However, Pain Split can be used over Energy Ball if you feel that being able to heal off damage (albeit, somewhat unreliably) would be helpful.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Wide Lens is almost mandatory when using this set, due to Hypnosis and Will-O-Wisp's low accuracy. Since this Ninetales isn't looking to stay in and sweep, Overheat is a perfectly viable attack choice. Fire Blast is better if you want Ninetales to function as both a supporter and a sweeper, since it doesn't lower Ninetales's Special Attack, with no Special Attack investment, however, this is still unlikely to have much of an impact. The EV spread is designed to allow Ninetales to outrun Max Speed base 95s such as Drapion while getting as much bulk out of the remainder.</p>

<p>This set's ideal teammates are the same as the Special Sweeper's, since the Fire-Water-Grass combination creates such strong team synergy. Specifically, Torterra is able to function well with Double Status Ninetales as it can set up Stealth Rock, which is very useful when using a set that causes as many switches as this one does. It is also suggested that your Water-type has the potential to overcome Morning Sun Arcanine, since it resists or is immune to three of the moves in the moveset. Using a Utility Blastoise with Roar is highly recommended, since it can shuffle your opponent's team and Rapid Spin away entry hazards that ruin Ninetales. Just be sure not to use Yawn in the third moveslot; it will fail if Ninetales has already put something to sleep.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Overheat / Fire Blast
move 2: Energy Ball
move 3: Extrasensory
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 252 SpA / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>One can avoid the shaky accuracy of Hypnosis and the hassle of setting up Nasty Plot boosts by having Ninetales hold a pair of Choice Specs. Overheat is more useful early-game, where Ninetales will be switching more often, while Fire Blast becomes a better choice late-game, where Ninetales will want to be sweeping unimpeded. Energy Ball does the same job here as it does on the other sets, cleaning up bulky Water- and Rock- and bulky Water-types. Extrasensory, while not commonly seen, does give Ninetales a way to take down Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Blaziken. Hidden Power Rock helps out with other Fire-types as well as Flying-types.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EV spread allows Ninetales to outspeed base 95 Speed Pokémon, since the 30 Speed IV caused by Hidden Power Rock means outspeeding anything faster is impossible. The EVs left over are placed in HP, but could also be put back in Speed if opposing Ninetales are of concern. If you decide to use an attack other than Hidden Power Rock, a simple 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe spread could be adopted to reach the next Speed tier.</p>

<p>Being locked into a single move often results in a lot of switching, something no Fire-type enjoys doing with Stealth Rock around. Therefore, it is recommended that you add a Rapid Spinner to your team. Cloyster is able to fill this role and can also set up its own entry hazards to help make sweeping easier. Bulky Hitmontop is a fair choice too, since it can hit enemy Rock-types super effectively or employ a Foresight + Rapid Spin combination that can only be stopped by a double-Ghost team.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Ninetales is able to cause many switches thanks to its large movepool. In order to capitalize on these switches, include some sort of entry hazard in your team. Stealth Rock is the most obvious choice, with Spikes next. Omastar is a very capable Spiker, as is Cloyster. Stealth Rock can be added to your team by a variety of Pokémon including Donphan, Uxie, and Miltank. Uxie can also provide dual screen support, which can help remedy Ninetales' fragility. Clefable, Rotom, and Espeon are also good dual screeners to pair with Ninetales.</p>

<p>Taking down Clefable and Chansey is nigh impossible for Ninetales, which is why Hariyama is a good teammate. Its STAB Fighting-type attacks and Guts allow it to deftly handle these threats, along with Houndoom, who may try to nab a Flash Fire boost on the switch-in. Toxicroak can also defeat Clefable and Chansey while holding its own against bulky Water-types. It can also lure in Fire-type attacks for Ninetales' own Flash Fire ability.</p>

<p>Forming a solid Fire-Water-Grass core for your team is also a great way to benefit Ninetales, since these three types resist a large majority of attack types. Grass-types tend to be bulky by nature, which complements fragile Ninetales very well. Venusaur is the most popular Grass-type, thanks to its versatility, although other choices abound. Leafeon and Tangrowth have the same versatility as Venusaur plus a resistance to Ground-type attacks, but their stat distribution means they will be taking much more damage from special attacks. Water-types tend to be more diverse than Grass-types, which offers more in the way of team customization. More defensively inclined choices include Slowbro and Milotic, both being great choices thanks to their access to instant recovery moves and status. Lanturn lacks reliable recovery, but has many resistances and status options. Cloyster can lay entry hazards while providing defensive synergy with its high Defense in addition to Rapid Spin support. Rapid Spinning can also be done by Blastoise. Offensive choices include Kabutops, which can provide Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin support, Feraligatr, which is a formidable sweeper with Dragon Dance and Swords Dance + Aqua Jet, Azumarill, and Poliwrath, which have solid bulk and the strong combination of Substitute and Focus Punch. All in all, your choice should come down to which Pokémon's strategy gels the best with the rest of your team.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>Ninetales has few other viable move choices, although some can prove useful. Dark Pulse has more coverage than Extrasensory but its damage output never exceeds that of a STAB Fire Blast or Overheat. Grudge can be useful against walls and sweepers to drain the PP of one of their attacks. Calm Mind is also available, but Nasty Plot's +2 Special Attack boost is much more useful on such a frail Pokémon.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Chansey is by far the best counter to Ninetales; her massive Special Defense and HP stats making brute force from offensive sets useless, while her ability, Natural Cure, erases any status effects Ninetales would have hoped to inflict. In a similar vein is Altaria, who has no problems sponging special attacks from Ninetales, and boasts Natural Cure as well. Unlike Chansey, it can also KO Ninetales much faster with a super effective Earthquake. However, one must be wary of switching in Altaria after Ninetales gets a Nasty Plot boost; +2 Hidden Power Rock will 2HKO Altaria after Stealth Rock damage. Clefable can survive a +2 LO Fire Blast from Ninetales and can cripple it with paralysis, but must beware of Hypnosis and will have trouble damaging Ninetales significantly. Thick Fat Hariyama will also be able to overpower Ninetales.</p>

<p>Flash Fire Pokémon like Arcanine and Houndoom are also decent answers to Ninetales, especially the Choice Specs set once it has locked itself into a Fire- or Grass-type attack. Blaziken, too, is able to switch in with relative ease and immediately threaten Ninetales with Stone Edge or Superpower. Substitute + Roost Moltres can also handle Ninetales thanks to Substitute and Toxic. Arcanine, Houndoom, and Moltres must be wary of Hidden Power Rock, while Blaziken must beware Extrasensory, however. Bulky Water-types should look to stop Ninetales before it nabs that +2 boost so Energy Ball loses its potency. Milotic can absorb status very well (even better if it is a RestTalk variant), as can the lesser-seen Mantine, which deserves a special mention as it is one of the few UU Water-types that is neutral to Energy Ball while still resisting Fire Blast. Lanturn can also deal with an unboosted Ninetales extremely well, since it can 2HKO any variant after Stealth Rock and eliminate status problems it might cause with Heal Bell.</p>

Click to expand...

[Overview]

<p>While there is no shortage of Fire-types in UU, Ninetales has some unique attributes which help it stand out from the crowd: It boasts one of the largest movepools of any Fire-type, including assets like Nasty Plot, Hypnosis, and Energy Ball. This movepool combined with Ninetales' decent bulk and Special Attack also allows it to overcome the biggest threats to UU Fire-types: bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Milotic. These unique characteristics allow Ninetales to step out of the shadows of its more popular Fire-type brethren and take center stage as a powerful special attacker or status inducer.</p>

[SET]
name: Nasty Vixen
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 72 HP / 216 SpA / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Ninetales' flagship set, allowing Ninetales to act as an effective lure for bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Slowbro [So is this set supposed to act as a lure or a sweeper?]. With a minor investment in its HP, Ninetales is able to take on and defeat its most prominent counters after a Nasty Plot boost [How are they counters in any way if they are beaten by the flagship set?]. Fire Blast is Ninetales' best STAB move in terms of sweeping, especially since Ninetales won't be having the doesn't have maximum Special Attack investment. Energy Ball is Ninetales' most important coverage move, being and is the key reason it Ninetales is able to take on Water-types. Hidden Power Rock is for Altaria and opposing Fire-types, like Arcanine and Moltres. Fire + Grass + Rock also gets perfect coverage in UU. Nasty Plot shouldn't require any explanation. After all, what would a Nasty Plot sweeper be without Nasty Plot?</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread allows Ninetales to survive a 0 SpA Milotic's Surf 100% of the time, even after Stealth Rock damage thanks to Leftovers, and hit back with a +2 Energy Ball for a 2HKO. [Explain what the Speed and Special Attack EVs do?] Ninetales can also nab another power boost by switching into Fire-type attacks, thanks to its Flash Fire ability. This will make its Fire Blast very difficult to wall, especially after Nasty Plot.</p>

<p>Ninetales greatly appreciates Stealth Rock support, as it weakens most of its other counters to the point where Ninetales can easily KO them. Ninetales appreciates Pokemon especially likes partners that can weaken Water-types to make sweeping easier and lure Fire-types so it can grab a Flash Fire boost. Grass-types such as Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Leafeon are perfect for this. Toxicroak works as well, since its Dry Skin ability allows it to heal itself by from switching into Water-type attacks. It also smites Ninetales' biggest counters: Clefable and Chansey. However, Toxicroak may also lure in Ground-types, so be careful when using it.</p>

[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Hypnosis / Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With Nasty Plot, Ninetales is able to remedy its lackluster Special Attack, abusing also talking advantage of Flash Fire to enter the battle without damage,(remove) and begin to set up. Hypnosis is a valuable (if somewhat unreliable) asset, as it can be used freely as your opponent switches out to a counter, and may grant Ninetales a free turn to Nasty Plot. Coverage on Moltres, Altaria, and other Flash Fire Pokémon are is the reasoning behind adding Hidden Power Rock to the moveset, even if its coverage does not outweigh is less potent than Hypnosis's crippling effect. Its The accuracy of Hypnosis, however, will always be a problem, which makes Hidden Power Rock a more reliable option as well.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Another option over Hypnosis is Substitute; Ninetales can boost its Special Attack from behind a Substitute without fearing status or damage. Since Ninetales's defenses are rather low, it is best to use attacks with high accuracy. However, Flamethrower may miss out on OHKOing standard Registeel, dealing between 87.9% - 103.8%.</p>

<p>Life Orb is used to squeeze out all of Ninetales's sweeping potential, as it appreciates every bit of power it can get. If Hidden Power Rock is used over Hypnosis, Life Orb is definitely the only choice since Ninetales will be forcing less switches and will instantly reveal its item if it switches in against entry hazards [I don't quite understand. If Ninetales switches into Stealth Rock, how will the opponent know its item is Life Orb? It doesn't make sense, unless you were referring to Leftovers here]. Also, if Hidden Power Rock is used, an EV spread of 36 HP / 252 SpA / 220 Spe is an option as Hidden Power Rock lowers Ninetales' Speed IV; running maximum Speed still won't allow you to tie with other base 100s. [Again, mention what the EVs do, particularly Speed]</p>

<p>Ninetales works well as part of a Fire-Water-Grass team core. Helpful teammates include Venusaur, who can switch into and immediately threaten bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Slowbro. These same bulky Water-types function well as teammates, since they can easily sponge attacks aimed at Ninetales and threaten Altaria, who resists both Energy Ball and Fire Blast. Milotic becomes an even better choice should you forgo Hidden Power Rock, since it can check the likes of Altaria, Blaziken, Houndoom, and Moltres effectively. Blastoise is also a great Water-type teammate who is capable of adding not only defensive synergy to your team, but also Rapid Spin support - something Ninetales should have in order to sweep uninhibited.</p>

[SET]
name: Double Status
move 1: Hypnosis
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Energy Ball / Pain Split
move 4: Fire Blast / Overheat
item: Wide Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 184 HP / 104 SpD / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Ninetales's support movepool also allows it to pull off a double status set quite effectively. Hypnosis provides the sleep status that starts things off, while Will-O-Wisp cripples physical switch-ins looking to take Ninetales down on out via its weaker defensive stat. Energy Ball and your choice of STAB fill out the rest of the moveset, providing Ninetales with the best coverage it can get should it find an opportunity to pick off a foe. Pain Split can be used over Energy Ball if you feel that being able to heal off damage (albeit, somewhat unreliably) would be helpful.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Wide Lens is almost mandatory when using this set, due to Hypnosis and Will-O-Wisp's low accuracy. Since this Ninetales isn't looking to stay in and sweep, Overheat is a perfectly viable attack choice. Fire Blast is better if you want Ninetales to function as both a supporter and a sweeper, since it doesn't lower Ninetales's Special Attack, but with no Special Attack investment, however, this is still unlikely to have much of an impact. The EV spread is designed to allow Ninetales to outrun Max Speed base 95s such as Drapion while getting as much bulk as possible out of the remainder.</p>

<p>This set's ideal teammates are the same as the Special Sweeper's, since the Fire-Water-Grass combination creates such strong team synergy. Specifically, Torterra is able to function well with Double Status Ninetales as it can set up Stealth Rock, which is very useful when using a set that causes as many switches as this one does. It is also suggested that your Water-type has the potential to overcome Morning Sun Arcanine, since it resists or is immune to three of the moves in the moveset. Using a Utility Blastoise with Roar is highly recommended, since it can shuffle your opponent's team and Rapid Spin away entry hazards that ruin Ninetales. Just be sure not to use Yawn in the third moveslot; it will fail if Ninetales has already put something to sleep.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Overheat / Fire Blast
move 2: Energy Ball
move 3: Extrasensory
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 252 SpA / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>One can avoid the shaky accuracy of Hypnosis and the hassle of setting up Nasty Plot boosts by having Ninetales hold Choice Specs. Overheat is more useful early-game, where Ninetales will be switching more often, while Fire Blast becomes a better choice late-game, where Ninetales will want to be sweeping unimpeded. Energy Ball does the same job here as it does on the other sets, cleaning up bulky Water- and Rock- types. Extrasensory, while not commonly seen, does give Ninetales a way to take down Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Blaziken. Hidden Power Rock helps out with other Fire-types as well as Flying-types.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EV spread allows Ninetales to outspeed base 95 Speed Pokémon, since the 30 Speed IV caused by Hidden Power Rock means outspeeding anything faster is impossible. The EVs left over are placed in HP, but could also be put back in Speed if opposing Ninetales are of concern. If you decide to use an attack other than Hidden Power Rock, a simple 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe spread could be adopted to reach the next Speed tier.</p>

<p>Being locked into a single move often results in a lot of switching, something no Fire-type enjoys doing with Stealth Rock around. Therefore, it is recommended that you add a Rapid Spinner to your team. Cloyster is able to fill this role and can also set up its own entry hazards to help make sweeping easier. Bulky Hitmontop is a fair choice too, since it can hit enemy Rock-types super effectively or employ a Foresight + Rapid Spin combination that can only be stopped by a double-Ghost team.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Ninetales is able to cause many switches thanks to its large movepool. In order to capitalize on these switches, you should include some sort of entry hazard support in your team. Stealth Rock is the most obvious choice, with Spikes next. Omastar is a very capable Spiker, as is Cloyster. Stealth Rock can be added to set up for your team by a variety of Pokémon including Donphan, Uxie, and Miltank. Uxie can also provide dual screen support, which can help remedy Ninetales' fragility. Clefable, Rotom, and Espeon are also good dual screeners to pair with Ninetales.</p>

<p>Taking down Clefable and Chansey is nigh impossible for Ninetales, which is why Hariyama is a good teammate. Its STAB Fighting-type attacks and Guts allow it to deftly handle these threats.(full stop) It can also deal with , along with Houndoom, who may try to nab a Flash Fire boost on the switch-in. Toxicroak can also defeat Clefable and Chansey while holding its own against bulky Water-types. It can also lure in Fire-type attacks for Ninetales' own Flash Fire ability.</p>

<p>Forming a solid Fire-Water-Grass core for your team is also a great way to benefit Ninetales, since these three types resist a large majority of attack types. Grass-types tend to be bulky by nature, which complements fragile Ninetales very well. Venusaur is the most popular Grass-type, thanks to its versatility, although other choices abound. Leafeon and Tangrowth have the same versatility as Venusaur plus a resistance to Ground-type attacks, but their stat distribution means they will be taking much more damage from special attacks. Water-types tend to be more diverse than Grass-types, which offers more in the way of team customization. More defensively inclined choices include Slowbro and Milotic, both being great choices thanks to their access to instant recovery moves and status. Lanturn lacks reliable recovery, but has many resistances and status options. Cloyster can lay entry hazards while providing defensive synergy with its high Defense in addition to Rapid Spin support. Rapid Spinning can also be done provided by Blastoise. Offensive choices include Kabutops, which can provide Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin support, Feraligatr, which is a formidable sweeper with Dragon Dance and Swords Dance + Aqua Jet, Azumarill, and Poliwrath, which have solid bulk and the strong combination of Substitute and Focus Punch. All in all, your choice should come down to which Pokémon's strategy gels the best with the rest of your team.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>Ninetales has few other viable move choices, although some can prove useful. Dark Pulse has more coverage than Extrasensory but its damage output never exceeds that of a STAB Fire Blast or Overheat. Grudge can be useful against walls and sweepers to drain the PP of one of their attacks. Calm Mind is also available, but Nasty Plot's +2 Special Attack boost is much more useful on such a frail Pokémon.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Chansey is by far the best counter to Ninetales; her massive Special Defense and HP stats making make brute force from offensive sets useless, while her ability, Natural Cure, erases any status effects Ninetales would have hoped to inflict. In a similar vein,(comma) is Altaria, who Altaria has no problems sponging special attacks from Ninetales, and boasts Natural Cure as well. Unlike Chansey, it can also KO Ninetales much faster with a super effective Earthquake. However, one must be wary of switching in Altaria after Ninetales gets a Nasty Plot boost; +2 Hidden Power Rock will 2HKO Altaria after Stealth Rock damage. Clefable can survive a +2 LO Fire Blast from Ninetales and can cripple it with paralysis, but must beware of Hypnosis and will have trouble damaging Ninetales significantly. Thick Fat Hariyama will also be able to overpower Ninetales.</p>

<p>Flash Fire Pokémon like Arcanine and Houndoom are also decent answers to Ninetales, especially the Choice Specs set once it has locked itself into a Fire- or Grass-type attack. Blaziken, too, is able to switch in with relative ease and immediately threaten Ninetales with Stone Edge or Superpower. Substitute + Roost Moltres can also handle Ninetales thanks to Substitute and Toxic. Arcanine, Houndoom, and Moltres must be wary of Hidden Power Rock, while Blaziken must beware Extrasensory, however. Bulky Water-types should look to stop Ninetales before it nabs that +2 boost so Energy Ball loses its potency. Milotic can absorb status very well (even better if it is a RestTalk variant), as can the lesser-seen Mantine, which deserves a special mention as it is one of the few UU Water-types that is neutral to Energy Ball while still resisting Fire Blast. Lanturn can also deal with an unboosted Ninetales extremely well, since it can 2HKO any variant after Stealth Rock and eliminate status problems it might cause with Heal Bell.</p>

[Overview]

<p>While there is no shortage of Fire-types in UU, Ninetales has some unique attributes which that help it stand out from the crowd. (period) It boasts one of the largest movepools of any Fire-type, including assets like Nasty Plot, Hypnosis, and Energy Ball. This movepool, (comma) combined with Ninetales' decent bulk and Special Attack, (comma) also allows it to overcome the biggest threats to UU Fire-types: bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Milotic. These unique characteristics allow enable Ninetales to step out of the shadows of its more popular Fire-type brethren and take center stage as a powerful special attacker or status inducer.</p>

[SET]
name: Nasty Vixen
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 72 HP / 216 SpA / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Ninetales' flagship set, allowing Ninetales which allows it to act as an effective lure for bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Slowbro while also functioning as a sweeper. With a minor investment in its HP, Ninetales is able to take on and defeat the usual Fire-type counters after a Nasty Plot boost. Fire Blast is Ninetales' best STAB move in terms of sweeping, especially since Ninetales doesn't have maximum Special Attack investment. Energy Ball is Ninetales' most important coverage move, and is the key reason for why Ninetales is able to take on Water-types. Hidden Power Rock is for Altaria and opposing Fire-types, like Arcanine and Moltres. Fire + Grass + Rock also gets perfect coverage in UU. Nasty Plot shouldn't require any explanation. After all, what would a Nasty Plot sweeper be without Nasty Plot? (kinda useless, also, the second sentence is generally enough for the "nasty plot" mention)</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread allows Ninetales to survive a 0 SpA Milotic's Surf 100% of the time, even after Stealth Rock damage thanks to Leftovers, and hit back with a +2 Energy Ball for a 2HKO. It also allows Ninetales to outspeed base 95 Speed Pokemon with a boosting nature. In addition to Nasty Plot, Ninetales can also nab another power boost by switching into Fire-type attacks, thanks to its Flash Fire ability. This will make its Fire Blast very difficult to wall, especially after Nasty Plot.</p>

<p>Ninetales greatly appreciates Stealth Rock support, as it weakens most of its other counters to the point where Ninetales can easily KO them. Ninetales especially likes partners that can weaken Water-types to make sweeping easier and lure Fire-types so it can grab a Flash Fire boost. Grass-types such as Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Leafeon are perfect for this. Toxicroak works as well, since its Dry Skin ability allows it to heal itself by switching into Water-type attacks. It also smites Ninetales' biggest counters: Clefable and Chansey. However, Toxicroak may also lure in Ground-types, so be careful when using it.</p>

[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Hypnosis / Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With a single Nasty Plot boost, Ninetales reaches 522 Special Attack, which is just good enough for sweeping mid- to late-game. is able to remedy its lackluster Special Attack, also take advantage of Flash Fire to enter the battle without damage and set up. Switch Ninetales in on a Fire-type attack for a free switch in and begin boosting with Nasty Plot. For which attack to use, Fire Blast is Ninetales's main STAB attack, though Flamethrower is a perfectly fine substitute for more reliability. Energy Ball hits Water-, Ground, and Rock-type Pokemon super effectively. Hypnosis is a valuable (if somewhat unreliable) asset, as it can be used freely as your opponent switches out to a counter, and may grant Ninetales a free turn to boost with Nasty Plot. Hidden Power Rock covers Moltres, Altaria, and other Flash Fire Pokémon is the reasoning behind adding Hidden Power Rock to the moveset, even if though its coverage is less potent than Hypnosis's crippling effect. The accuracy of Hypnosis, however, will always be a problem, which makes Hidden Power Rock a reliable option as well.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Another option over Hypnosis is Substitute; Ninetales can boost its Special Attack from behind a Substitute without fearing status or damage. Since Ninetales' physical defense is rather low, it is best to use attacks with high accuracy. However, Flamethrower may miss out on OHKOing standard Registeel, since it only deals 87.9% - 103.8%.</p>

<p>Life Orb is used to squeeze out all of Ninetales' sweeping potential, as it appreciates every bit of power it can get. If Hidden Power Rock is used, an EV spread of 36 HP / 252 SpA / 220 Spe is an option as Hidden Power Rock lowers Ninetales' Speed IV; running maximum Speed still won't allow you Ninetales to tie with other base 100s. With 220 Speed EVs, Ninetales will always outpace positive natured base 95s. Maximum Special Attack must always be used with this set, since Ninetales is aiming to sweep through the opposing team. The remaining EVs are simply shunted into HP to increase overall bulk and make setup slightly easier.</p>

<p>Ninetales works well as part of a Fire-Water-Grass team core. One helpful teammate includes Venusaur, which can switch into and immediately threaten bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Slowbro. These same bulky Water-types function well as teammates, since they can easily sponge attacks aimed at Ninetales and threaten Altaria, which resists both Energy Ball and Fire Blast. Milotic becomes an even better choice should you forgo Hidden Power Rock, since it can check the likes of Altaria, Blaziken, Houndoom, and Moltres effectively. Blastoise is also a great Water-type teammate that is capable of adding not only defensive synergy to your team, but also Rapid Spin support - something Ninetales should have in order to sweep uninhibited.</p>

[SET]
name: Double Status
move 1: Hypnosis
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Energy Ball / Pain Split
move 4: Fire Blast / Overheat
item: Wide Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 184 HP / 104 SpD / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Ninetales' support movepool also allows it to pull off a double status set quite effectively. Start off with Hypnosis provides the sleep status that starts things off to sleep a foe, while then cripple the next switch-in, hopefully a physical attacker, with Will-O-Wisp cripples physical switch-ins looking to take Ninetales out via its weaker defensive stat. Energy Ball and your choice of STAB fill out the rest of the moveset, providing Ninetales with the best coverage it can get should it find an opportunity to pick off a foe. Pain Split can be used over Energy Ball if you feel that being able to heal off damage (albeit, somewhat unreliably) would be helpful.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Wide Lens is almost mandatory when using this set, due to Hypnosis's and Will-O-Wisp's low accuracy. Since this Ninetales isn't looking to stay in and sweep, Overheat is a perfectly viable attack choice. Fire Blast is better if you want Ninetales to function as both a supporter and a sweeper, since it doesn't lower Ninetales' Special Attack, but with no Special Attack investment, this is still unlikely to have much of an impact. The EV spread is designed to allows Ninetales to outrun max Speed base 95s such as Drapion while getting as much bulk as possible out of the remainder.</p>

<p>This set's ideal teammates are the same as the Special Sweeper's, since the Fire-Water-Grass combination creates such strong team synergy. Specifically, Torterra is able to function well with Double Status Ninetales as it can set up Stealth Rock, which is very useful when using a set that causes as many switches as this one does. It is also suggested that your Water-type has the potential to overcome Morning Sun Arcanine, since it resists or is immune to three of the moves in the moveset. Using a Utility Blastoise with Roar is highly recommended, since it can shuffle your opponent's team and Rapid Spin away entry hazards that ruin Ninetales. Just be sure not to use Yawn in the third moveslot; it will fail if Ninetales has already put something to sleep.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Overheat / Fire Blast
move 2: Energy Ball
move 3: Extrasensory
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 252 SpA / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>One can avoid the shaky accuracy of Hypnosis and the hassle of setting up Nasty Plot boosts by having Ninetales hold Choice Specs. Overheat is more useful early-game, where Ninetales will be switching more often, while Fire Blast becomes a better choice late-game, where Ninetales will want to be sweeping unimpeded. Energy Ball does the same job here as it does on the other sets, cleaning up bulky Water- and Rock- types. Extrasensory, while not commonly seen, does give Ninetales a way to take down Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Blaziken. Hidden Power Rock helps out with other Fire-types as well as Flying-types.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EV spread allows Ninetales to outspeed base 95 Speed Pokémon, since the 30 Speed IV caused by Hidden Power Rock means outspeeding anything faster is impossible. The leftover EVs left over are placed in HP, but could also be put back into Speed if opposing Ninetales are of concern. If you decide to use an attack other than Hidden Power Rock, a simple 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe spread could be adopted to reach the next Speed tier.</p>

<p>Being locked into a single move often results in a lot of switching, something no Fire-type enjoys doing with Stealth Rock around. Therefore, it is recommended that you add a Rapid Spinner to your team. Cloyster is able to fill this role and can also set up its own entry hazards to help make sweeping easier. Bulky Hitmontop is a fair choice too, since it can hit enemy Rock-types super effectively or employ a Foresight + Rapid Spin combination that can only be stopped by a double-Ghost team.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Ninetales is able to cause many switches thanks to its large movepool. In order to capitalize on these switches, you should include some sort of entry hazard support in your team. Stealth Rock is the most obvious choice, with Spikes next. Omastar and Cloyster are very capable Spikes users, as is Cloyster, due to their huge Defense stat. Stealth Rock can be set up for your team by a variety of Pokémon including Donphan, Uxie, and Miltank. Uxie can also provide dual screen support, which can help remedy Ninetales' fragility. Clefable, Rotom, and Espeon are also good dual screeners to pair with Ninetales.</p>

<p>Taking down Clefable and Chansey is nigh impossible for Ninetales, which is why Hariyama is a good teammate. Its STAB Fighting-type attacks and Guts allow it to deftly handle these threats. Moreover, it can also deal with Houndoom, which may try to nab a Flash Fire boost on the switch in. Toxicroak can also defeat Clefable and Chansey while holding its own against bulky Water-types. Additionally, it can also lure in Fire-type attacks for to activate Ninetales' own Flash Fire ability.</p>

<p>Forming a solid Fire-Water-Grass core for your team is also a great way to benefit Ninetales, since these three types resist a large majority of attack types. Grass-types tend to be bulky by nature, which complements fragile Ninetales very well. Venusaur is the most popular Grass-type, thanks to its versatility, although other choices abound are just as good. Leafeon and Tangrowth have the same versatility as Venusaur plus a resistance to Ground-type attacks, but their stat distribution means they will be taking much more damage from special attacks. Water-types tend to be more diverse than Grass-types, which offers more in the way of team customization. More defensively inclined choices include Slowbro and Milotic, with both being great choices thanks to their access to instant recovery moves and status. Lanturn lacks reliable recovery, but has many resistances and status options. Cloyster can lay down entry hazards while providing defensive synergy with its high Defense in addition to Rapid Spin support. Rapid Spinning can also be provided by Blastoise. Offensive choices include Kabutops, which can provide Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin support, Feraligatr, which is a formidable sweeper with Dragon Dance and Swords Dance + Aqua Jet, Azumarill, and Poliwrath, which have solid bulk and the strong combination of Substitute and Focus Punch. All in all, your choice should come down to which Pokémon's strategy gels the best with the rest of your team.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>Ninetales has few other viable move choices, although some can prove useful. Dark Pulse has more coverage than Extrasensory but its damage output never exceeds that of a STAB Fire Blast or Overheat. Grudge can be useful against walls and sweepers to drain the PP of one of their attacks. Calm Mind is also available, but Nasty Plot's +2 Special Attack boost is much more useful on such a frail Pokémon sweeper (changed mostly because ninetales's base 100 SpD isn't really that frail!).</p>

[Counters]

<p>Chansey is by far the best counter to Ninetales; her massive Special Defense and HP stats make brute force from offensive sets useless, while her ability, Natural Cure, erases any status effects Ninetales would have hoped to inflict. In a similar vein, Altaria has no problems sponging special attacks from Ninetales, and boasts Natural Cure as well. Unlike Chansey, it can also KO Ninetales much faster with a super effective Earthquake. However, one must be wary of switching in Altaria after Ninetales gets a Nasty Plot boost; +2 Hidden Power Rock will 2HKO Altaria after Stealth Rock damage. Clefable can survive a +2 LO Fire Blast from Ninetales and can cripple it with paralysis, but must beware of Hypnosis and will have trouble damaging Ninetales significantly. Thick Fat Hariyama will also be able to overpower Ninetales.</p>

<p>Flash Fire Pokémon like Arcanine and Houndoom are also decent answers to Ninetales, especially the Choice Specs set once it has locked itself into a Fire- or Grass-type attack. Blaziken, too, is able to switch in with relative ease and immediately threaten Ninetales with Stone Edge or Superpower. Substitute + Roost Moltres can also handle Ninetales thanks to Substitute and Toxic its ability to outstall the fox. However, Arcanine, Houndoom, and Moltres must be wary of Hidden Power Rock, while Blaziken must beware of Extrasensory, however. Bulky Water-types should look to stop Ninetales before it nabs that +2 boost so Energy Ball loses its potency. Bulky Water-types are generally good counters as they resist Fire, but they must watch out for a +2 Energy Ball. Milotic can absorb status very well (even better if it is a RestTalk variant), as can the lesser-seen Mantine, which deserves a special mention as it is one of the few UU Water-types that is neutral to Energy Ball while still resisting Fire Blast. Lanturn can also deal with an unboosted Ninetales extremely well, since it can 2HKO any variant after Stealth Rock and eliminate any status problems it might cause with Heal Bell.</p>