[Pros]
<ul>
<li>Snorlax's amazing base 160 HP and 110 Special Defense let Snorlax take repeated special hits with ease; it's the absolute definition of a tank.</li>
<li>Snorlax is no pushover offensively either, as it has a base 110 Attack stat and a solid physical movepool to work with.</li>
<li>The new item Assault Vest seems practically made for it given it really appreciates the extra boost and doesn't mind not being able to use support moves.</li>
<li>The general special nerf makes it easier for Snorlax to do his job, same with the weather nerf so it needs to take rain-boosted Hydro Pumps less often.</li>
</ul>
[Cons]
<ul>
<li>Snorlax is incredibly slow; it will rarely outspeed anything that isn't paralyzed.</li>
<li>It's not nearly as physically bulky as it is specially bulky.</li>
<li>Assault Vest gives a great stat boon but ensures Snorlax can't recover in any way bar Wish support, meaning it gets worn down really easily.</li>
<li>Weakness to Fighting-type moves bites, even with a new type resisting it.</li>
<li>Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Forretress can all use Snorlax as Spikes fodder.</li>
</ul>
[Set Recommendations]
<p>name: Assault Vest<br />
move 1: Return / Body Slam<br />
move 2: Earthquake<br />
move 3: Pursuit<br />
move 4: Wild Charge / Crunch<br />
ability: Thick Fat<br />
item: Assault Vest<br />
evs: 252 Atk / 252 SpD / 4 Spe<br />
nature: Adamant</p>
<p>By using an Assault Vest, Snorlax can boost its already great special bulk to astronomical levels and serve as a superb check to various threatening special attackers such as Volcarona, Mega Charizard Y, Greninja, Starmie, and Gengar. However, unlike some defensive Pokemon with similar bulk, Snorlax is no pushover offensively, using its decent physical movepool, high base 110 Attack stat, and ability to Pursuit trap to pose an immediate threat to the array of special attackers it's capable of checking, making it the better choice on more offensively leaning teams. Return is Snorlax's most powerful STAB move, doing significant damage to pretty much anything that doesn't resist it and easily 2HKOing any special attacker neutral to it that Snorlax might be being used to beat. Alternatively, Body Slam can be used over Return for its paralysis chance, but the loss of power is notable. Earthquake is Snorlax's main coverage move and is used to threaten some of the Pokemon that might try to switch in on Return, such as Tyranitar, Excadrill, Aegislash, and Mega Mawile. Pursuit gives Snorlax the ability to trap special attackers that are either frail, weakened, or weak to Dark-type moves. Outside of this, Pursuit can be used to do some nice chip damage to anything else Snorlax might force out, wearing them down. Wild Charge hits Azumarill, Togekiss, and especially Gyarados harder than any other move Snorlax possesses, and also happens to hit Skarmory harder than any other move available to Snorlax, although Snorlax is still unable to 2HKO the latter. Alternatively, Crunch is Snorlax's best weapon against Gourgeist-H and Trevenant, making it a viable option.</p>
<p> The EV spread is rather simple, maximizing Snorlax's offensive potential while also maximizing Snorlax's ability to take special hits. As mentioned before, Snorlax functions best on offensive teams that need a Pokemon that can take on the majority of special attackers without a problem while also being able to bite back. As with any other Normal-type Pokemon, Snorlax hates facing Fighting-type Pokemon, and therefore any Pokemon that can get rid of them is a good teammate. Aegislash is great at this, using its great bulk in Shield forme along with its great typing to put a stop to the majority of Fighting-type Pokemon. In return, Snorlax can take various Fire- and Ghost-type moves for Aegislash thanks to its Thick Fat ability and immunity to Ghost-type moves. Gourgeist-H is another great option for taking on Fighting-types, being immune to their STAB and having the bulk to take most coverage moves while burning them in return; Gourgeist appreciates Snorlax's resistances to Fire and Ice-type moves along with its immunity to Ghost-type moves as well. Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Forretress are all huge pains for Snorlax to deal with, taking any hit from it easily and using it as Spikes fodder, and therefore Magnezone makes a great teammate for Snorlax, as it can trap all three of these Pokemon and KO them with Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Fire. Speaking of entry hazards, Snorlax wants as few of them as possible on the field as possible to make it easier for it to do its job, especially because Assault Vest stops Snorlax from recovering off any damage taken on its own. Therefore Rapid Spinners such as Excadrill and Starmie as well as Defog users such as Crobat, Scizor, and Mandibuzz are all good teammates for Snorlax. Lastly, Choice Band can be used over Assault Vest to give Snorlax a bit more power behind its attacks, but Snorlax really misses the ability to switch moves and the Special Defense boost provided by Assault Vest. </p>
[Checks And Counters]
<p> Bulky Steel-types such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Forretress are all excellent counters to Snorlax, as they resist Return and can take pretty much any other coverage move easily and can either wear Snorlax down or use it as setup fodder in return. Similarly, bulky Ghost-type Pokemon such as Aegislash and Gourgeist are also great checks to Snorlax, as they're immune to Return and don't really care about any of Snorlax's coverage moves except Crunch, and Earthquake in Aegislash's case, and can cripple Snorlax with a burn. Aegislash can KO it with a super effective Sacred Sword after some prior damage. Although not resistant to return, Gliscor and Hippowdon have the sheer physical bulk to take pretty much anything from Snorlax and can either cripple it with Toxic or wear it down with repeated Earthquakes. When it comes to just breaking through Snorlax, Fighting-type Pokemon such as Lucario and Breloom are your go-to options, although most Fighting-types have to be wary of switching into multiple Returns and Earthquakes, so be sure to tread carefully when getting them onto the field. Finally, entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Spikes wear down Snorlax really quickly and make it significantly easier to take down, and because Assault Vest prevents the use of support moves, it can't recover off any of the damage taken on its own. </p>
- Selfdestruct should be slashed in the fourth moveslot on vestlax once its possible to obtain, whenever Snorlax isn't needed it can go out with a bang and inflict pain on pretty much anything facing it when it does this.
- Some more Fighting-types might become available and give snorlax a harder time
- some more significant threats that Snorlax can check, such as Heatran for example will need to be mentioned
- Fire Punch for ferrothorn and forry
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