* Alolan Ninetales is the only fully evolved Pokemon with the combination of Aurora Veil and Snow Warning, which gives it a unique niche in fast-paced teams.
* Its base 109 Speed puts it ahead of many of the tier's most threatening Pokemon, such as Cobalion and Keldeo.
* Its unique Ice / Fairy typing and above-average special bulk make it a good soft check to Pokemon like Hydreigon and Kyurem. However, its typing also leaves it extremely vulnerable to Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon.
* Its below-average Special Attack coupled with very limited coverage options means that its offensive presence is considerably low. However, it partly makes up for that by having access to some unique options such as Freeze-Dry and Encore.
* Being a grounded Pokemon with a weakness to Stealth Rock makes Alolan Ninetales extremely vulnerable to entry hazard damage, which limits the amount of chances per game that it gets to set up Aurora Veil.
[SET]
name: Aurora Veil Support
move 1: Aurora Veil
move 2: Freeze-Dry
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Moonblast
move 4: Encore / Moonblast
item: Light Clay
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Aurora Veil is the focus of this set, halving the damage that Alolan Ninetales and its teammates take from opposing attacks.
* Freeze-Dry is Alolan Ninetales's main STAB option, hitting common Pokemon that are weak to Ice-type moves such as Hippowdon while also covering Water-type Pokemon.
* Even though it fails to OHKO Scizor most of the time, Hidden Power Fire is used to discourage Steel-type Pokemon from setting up on Alolan Ninetales.
* Encore is Alolan Ninetales's best option against defensive Pokemon and setup sweepers in general. Besides that, it also helps Alolan Ninetales's teammates with setting up more comfortably.
* Moonblast can be used hit opposing Fighting-types such as Conkeldurr, as well as some Dark- and Dragon-type Pokemon such as Mega Absol and Kyurem harder.
* Blizzard is Alolan Ninetales's strongest move, and it can be used over Freeze-Dry under some circumstances. However, Freeze-Dry's ability to hit Water-type Pokemon for super effective damage is appreciated more often than Blizzard's extra damage output.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature lets Alolan Ninetales outpace many common Pokemon such as Keldeo, Cobalion, and Infernape, making it easier to set up Aurora Veil.
* In spite of its supportive role, maximum Special Attack investment is used to guarantee that Alolan Ninetales is strong enough to weaken bulkier Pokemon, as well as making it able to revenge kill some frailer Pokemon.
* Snow Warning is the ability of choice in this set, as it is required for Aurora Veil to work.
* Light Clay extends Aurora Veil's duration.
Usage Tips
========
* It is usually a good idea to switch Alolan Ninetales in on slower Pokemon that it can force out.
* Due to its access to Encore, Alolan Ninetales can be used to discourage slower setup sweepers such as Clefable and Reuniclus from performing their job.
* Thanks to its good special bulk and unique typing, Alolan Ninetales can be brought in against some special attackers such as Hydreigon and Kyurem. However, most physical attackers are strong enough to force it out, so try to avoid them if possible.
* The two best ways to get Alolan Ninetales in safely are by either sending it in after a teammate has fainted or through slow U-turn and Volt Switch support.
Team Options
========
* Usually, the best teammates for Alolan Ninetales are setup sweepers such as Dragon Dance Haxorus, Shell Smash Cloyster, and Swords Dance Mega Absol, since Aurora Veil allows them to boost up more easily.
* Rapid Spin and Defog users such as Starmie, Mega Blastoise, and Empoleon can aid Alolan Ninetales by removing entry hazards from the field, which guarantees that Alolan Ninetales gets more opportunities to set up Aurora Veil throughout the match.
* U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Gliscor, Scizor, and Raikou can make it easier for Alolan Ninetales to come into the field unscathed.
* Magneton is able to trap and eliminate opposing Steel-type Pokemon, something that Alolan Ninetales and its remaining teammates appreciate immensely.
* Even though it is one of the fastest Pokemon in the tier, Alolan Ninetales still appreciates teammates that can handle common revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Keldeo and Mega Aerodactyl.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Icy Wind and Hypnosis are two alternative options on the Aurora Veil set that allow Alolan Ninetales to discourage many opposing Pokemon from staying in on it. However, Alolan Ninetales has a pretty hard time finding space for them in its set, as it is already pretty strapped for moveslots as is.
* Alolan Ninetales can put its unique typing and good Speed to use with a Choice Specs set. However, its damage output is still underwhelming in spite of the power boost, and it also faces heavy competition from hard hitters such as Primarina and Kyurem.
* Nasty Plot and Calm Mind are two interesting set up options that Alolan Ninetales can put to use. However, neither is generally a good idea, considering the fact that Alolan Ninetales has a very hard time finding opportunities to set up and is extremely easily to revenge kill. Besides that, it still struggles to break through many specially defensive Pokemon even after boosting up.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types:** Alolan Ninetales's typing makes it extremely vulnerable to Steel-type Pokemon, since it has a very hard time doing considerable damage to them, and it has a 4x weakness to their STAB moves on top of that. Scizor in particular is able to stop Ninetales from performing its job by hitting it with Bullet Punch before it gets to do anything in the match.
**Sun and Sand Setters:** Since hail is required for Aurora Veil to be used, opposing weather setters can effectively disrupt Alolan Ninetales. Ninetales, Torkoal, and Gigalith can all switch in on Alolan Ninetales without fearing any of its moves, while Hippowdon should only switch directly into it in a pinch.
**Faster Pokemon:** Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl and Azelf can threaten to KO Alolan Ninetales or even Taunt it before Aurora Veil gets set up.
**Defog Users:** Although most of the move's users are unable to directly threaten Alolan Ninetales, Defog can be used to remove Aurora Veil from the field, therefore undoing Alolan Ninetales's work. Empoleon in particular can shrug any of Alolan Ninetales's moves and cripple it back with Knock Off and Scald.
**Entry Hazards:** The fact that Alolan Ninetales is both weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to Spikes and Toxic Spikes means that it gets a very limited amount of chances to set up against dedicated entry hazard stacking teams.
**Mega Sharpedo:** In spite of having a very hard time getting past Alolan Ninetales on its own, Mega Sharpedo can use Psychic Fangs to break Aurora Veil after Alolan Ninetales has been either weakened or removed from the match entirely. Besides that, Mega Sharpedo also tends to match up well against the kind of teams Alolan Ninetales is often seen on.
