Ray Jay
"Jump first, ask questions later, oui oui!"
Hey peeps and peepettes, Snover needs to be redone; it's pretty out of date for this metagame, has too many sets, etc (also has some grammar issues, but that's the inner gp boy coming out in me).
[Overview]
<p>Even though its stats may not appear initially overwhelming, Snover possesses a useful niche in the Little Cup metagame due to being one of two legal, automatic-weather inducers. Although sandstorm provided by Hippopotas is a more prevalent playing style, hail is beneficial to Snover. Primarily, Blizzard becomes 100% accurate, and in conjunction with a usable base 62 Special Attack, puts pressure on the opponent if they lack an answer to Snover; unfortunately, there are a lot of those floating around, as Fighting-types dominate the metagame. Snow Warning is also useful for eliminating sandstorm, which makes Pokemon such as Drilbur and Lileep more manageable. To back all this up, Snover also has a particularly useful movepool, including defensive moves as Leech Seed and Substitute, and STAB priority in Ice Shard.</p>
[Set]
name: Offensive Leech Seed
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Blizzard
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Ice Shard / Substitute
item: Eviolite / Life Orb
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 36 HP / 20 Atk / 36 Def / 184 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Just by switching in, Snover shuts down opponents that rely on sandstorm and turns the weather into a nuisance that harms all but a few Pokemon in LC. Leech Seed makes this effect additive, and is a fantastic move due to all of the switches Snover causes. Blizzard becomes a 100% accurate STAB move with 180 Base Power. Blizzard still hits a good portion of the metagame for super effective damage, such as Taillow, Hippopotas, and, of course, Drilbur. Giga Drain provides both healing and decent neutral coverage in tandem with Blizzard, taking out bulky Water-types such as Slowpoke and Chinchou. Ice Shard is useful in the last slot as it picks off weakened Flying-types equipped with a Choice Scarf, or Dragon-types with Dragon Dance. However, Substitute is also viable to ease prediction and rack up copious amounts of damage with Leech Seed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs prioritize Special Attack and Speed, along with enough Attack to guarantee a 2HKO on Dratini with Ice Shard, all while retaining bulk. Eviolite is the preferred item as it synergizes nicely with Leech Seed, providing lasting longevity and added annoyance to the opponent. It also makes switching in to Snover less of a hassle, as its defensive stats aren't exactly stellar. Nonetheless, Life Orb can be used to make Blizzard all the more devastating as the recoil can be recouped from Giga Drain. If Life Orb is used, 100 EVs should be placed into Attack, as this gives Snover a chance to OHKO Dratini after Stealth Rock. Alternatively, 196 EVs and a Naughty nature bring Snover's Attack up to its maximum, and give it a chance to OHKO Drilbur. If this is chosen, Wood Hammer should be used over Giga Drain for its sheer power.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Fire, although it has a tough time finding room on this set, hits opposing Snover, Ferroseed, and even Bronzor. Bulky Water-types work as fine teammates to Snover, as they tank Fire-type attacks. Frillish has the added bonus of being immune to Fighting-type attacks, while also being able to cripple them with Will-O-Wisp. On the other hand, Staryu can use Rapid Spin to get rid of Stealth Rock, which hampers Snover. Snover also needs teammates that can handle Fighting-types; Flying-types with a Choice Scarf, such as Taillow, Doduo, or Rufflet are fine choices for this. Wynaut also does this job well, but must be wary of switching into Mienfoo's U-turn.</p>
[Set]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Naive
evs: 100 Atk / 184 SpA / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By wearing a Choice Scarf, Snover guarantees that it will outspeed Drilbur, provided hail is up instead of sandstorm. If your team has a method of dealing with Fighting-types, "Blizzspam" suddenly becomes a scary offensive strategy, decimating a large portion of the tier. Giga Drain keeps Snover healthy after repeated switch-ins, and also does passable damage due to STAB. Ice Shard is an important move on this set, even with Choice Scarf, as it allows Snover to pick off faster Choice Scarf users such as Taillow. Hidden Power Fire is the primary option for the last slot, as it catches Ferroseed or Bronzor that try to switch in off guard. Hidden Power Rock is another option that hits the less-prevalent Fire-types, including Larvesta and Houndour.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As stated, Choice Scarf with maximum Speed is important to outspeed Drilbur after Snow Warning (Snover should still be careful of coming in on a Rock Slide, however). Snover also gets the jump on Gastly, Staryu, Doduo, Ponyta, and Taillow that are not equipped with a Choice Scarf of their own. The Attack EVs can be shifted to 36 HP / 36 Def / and 36 SpD if you desire to use Leech Seed as a bluff instead of Ice Shard, or if Ice Shard is unnecessary for the team. Water Pulse and Shadow Ball are also interesting coverage moves Snover has access to, but don't provide any particularly helpful coverage (Hidden Power Rock is better since it is 4x effective on Larvesta, and Gastly already won't like taking Blizzards).</p>
<p>Wynaut and Flying-types with a Choice Scarf are great teammates for Snover, as it still lacks a method of defeating Fighting-types (especially Mienfoo, who will wall this set). It is also recommended to use a defensive answer to Fighting-types, which can include Frillish, Eviolite Larvesta (who has good synergy with Snover, but suffers from Morning Sun being less effective in hail), or even Duskull. Ponyta absorbs Fire-type moves directed at Snover and takes out Bronzor, who walls varieties without Hidden Power Fire. Magnemite with Magnet Rise also have no problem taking out Bronzor. Ironically, a Mienfoo of your own can help alleviate the threat of opposing Fighting-types, getting free damage with Fake Out, hitting hard and fast with Hi Jump Kick, and paving a free way in for Snover with U-turn.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>An offensive Swords Dance set can be used, as Snover is one of the few Pokemon in Little Cup with STAB priority and Swords Dance. Protect could be used as more of an annoyance on any set with Leech Seed and Substitute; however, Snover needs both the offensive power of Blizzard and the coverage of Giga Drain. Speaking of which, Energy Ball can be used over Giga Drain on any set, but generally the HP restoration is more useful than a slight boost in power.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Tentacool walls nearly every set Snover can run since its ability, Liquid Ooze, actually reverses the effect of Giga Drain and Leech Seed. When Snover does not have Hidden Power Fire, Steel-types such as Ferroseed, Bronzor, or even Pawniard will have no difficulty switching in and forcing Snover out. Stealth Rock does enough damage to Snover to discourage repeated switch-ins, and also makes it much easier to OHKO. Fighting-types typically take little from Blizzard and OHKO back with their STAB attacks. Notably, Mienfoo, a dominant force in the tier, can U-turn or Hi Jump Kick for stellar damage and then recover any damage it may have taken switching in courtesy of Regenerator. Lastly, Hippopotas is slower than nearly all variants of Snover, so it will always get sandstorm up if both it and Snover are sent out as a lead.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Snover gets the ability Soundproof from the Dream World, but moves such as Roar and Bug Buzz are becoming less and less prevalent, and Snover should be used for its ability to summon hail anyway.</p>
-Coma -Aerrow -EM? lol
-Snorlaxe -Zystral
[Overview]
<p>Even though its stats may not appear initially overwhelming, Snover possesses a useful niche in the Little Cup metagame due to being one of two legal, automatic-weather inducers. Although sandstorm provided by Hippopotas is a more prevalent playing style, hail is beneficial to Snover. Primarily, Blizzard becomes 100% accurate, and in conjunction with a usable base 62 Special Attack, puts pressure on the opponent if they lack an answer to Snover; unfortunately, there are a lot of those floating around, as Fighting-types dominate the metagame. Snow Warning is also useful for eliminating sandstorm, which makes Pokemon such as Drilbur and Lileep more manageable. To back all this up, Snover also has a particularly useful movepool, including defensive moves as Leech Seed and Substitute, and STAB priority in Ice Shard.</p>
[Set]
name: Offensive Leech Seed
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Blizzard
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Ice Shard / Substitute
item: Eviolite / Life Orb
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 36 HP / 20 Atk / 36 Def / 184 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Just by switching in, Snover shuts down opponents that rely on sandstorm and turns the weather into a nuisance that harms all but a few Pokemon in LC. Leech Seed makes this effect additive, and is a fantastic move due to all of the switches Snover causes. Blizzard becomes a 100% accurate STAB move with 180 Base Power. Blizzard still hits a good portion of the metagame for super effective damage, such as Taillow, Hippopotas, and, of course, Drilbur. Giga Drain provides both healing and decent neutral coverage in tandem with Blizzard, taking out bulky Water-types such as Slowpoke and Chinchou. Ice Shard is useful in the last slot as it picks off weakened Flying-types equipped with a Choice Scarf, or Dragon-types with Dragon Dance. However, Substitute is also viable to ease prediction and rack up copious amounts of damage with Leech Seed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs prioritize Special Attack and Speed, along with enough Attack to guarantee a 2HKO on Dratini with Ice Shard, all while retaining bulk. Eviolite is the preferred item as it synergizes nicely with Leech Seed, providing lasting longevity and added annoyance to the opponent. It also makes switching in to Snover less of a hassle, as its defensive stats aren't exactly stellar. Nonetheless, Life Orb can be used to make Blizzard all the more devastating as the recoil can be recouped from Giga Drain. If Life Orb is used, 100 EVs should be placed into Attack, as this gives Snover a chance to OHKO Dratini after Stealth Rock. Alternatively, 196 EVs and a Naughty nature bring Snover's Attack up to its maximum, and give it a chance to OHKO Drilbur. If this is chosen, Wood Hammer should be used over Giga Drain for its sheer power.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Fire, although it has a tough time finding room on this set, hits opposing Snover, Ferroseed, and even Bronzor. Bulky Water-types work as fine teammates to Snover, as they tank Fire-type attacks. Frillish has the added bonus of being immune to Fighting-type attacks, while also being able to cripple them with Will-O-Wisp. On the other hand, Staryu can use Rapid Spin to get rid of Stealth Rock, which hampers Snover. Snover also needs teammates that can handle Fighting-types; Flying-types with a Choice Scarf, such as Taillow, Doduo, or Rufflet are fine choices for this. Wynaut also does this job well, but must be wary of switching into Mienfoo's U-turn.</p>
[Set]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Naive
evs: 100 Atk / 184 SpA / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By wearing a Choice Scarf, Snover guarantees that it will outspeed Drilbur, provided hail is up instead of sandstorm. If your team has a method of dealing with Fighting-types, "Blizzspam" suddenly becomes a scary offensive strategy, decimating a large portion of the tier. Giga Drain keeps Snover healthy after repeated switch-ins, and also does passable damage due to STAB. Ice Shard is an important move on this set, even with Choice Scarf, as it allows Snover to pick off faster Choice Scarf users such as Taillow. Hidden Power Fire is the primary option for the last slot, as it catches Ferroseed or Bronzor that try to switch in off guard. Hidden Power Rock is another option that hits the less-prevalent Fire-types, including Larvesta and Houndour.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As stated, Choice Scarf with maximum Speed is important to outspeed Drilbur after Snow Warning (Snover should still be careful of coming in on a Rock Slide, however). Snover also gets the jump on Gastly, Staryu, Doduo, Ponyta, and Taillow that are not equipped with a Choice Scarf of their own. The Attack EVs can be shifted to 36 HP / 36 Def / and 36 SpD if you desire to use Leech Seed as a bluff instead of Ice Shard, or if Ice Shard is unnecessary for the team. Water Pulse and Shadow Ball are also interesting coverage moves Snover has access to, but don't provide any particularly helpful coverage (Hidden Power Rock is better since it is 4x effective on Larvesta, and Gastly already won't like taking Blizzards).</p>
<p>Wynaut and Flying-types with a Choice Scarf are great teammates for Snover, as it still lacks a method of defeating Fighting-types (especially Mienfoo, who will wall this set). It is also recommended to use a defensive answer to Fighting-types, which can include Frillish, Eviolite Larvesta (who has good synergy with Snover, but suffers from Morning Sun being less effective in hail), or even Duskull. Ponyta absorbs Fire-type moves directed at Snover and takes out Bronzor, who walls varieties without Hidden Power Fire. Magnemite with Magnet Rise also have no problem taking out Bronzor. Ironically, a Mienfoo of your own can help alleviate the threat of opposing Fighting-types, getting free damage with Fake Out, hitting hard and fast with Hi Jump Kick, and paving a free way in for Snover with U-turn.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>An offensive Swords Dance set can be used, as Snover is one of the few Pokemon in Little Cup with STAB priority and Swords Dance. Protect could be used as more of an annoyance on any set with Leech Seed and Substitute; however, Snover needs both the offensive power of Blizzard and the coverage of Giga Drain. Speaking of which, Energy Ball can be used over Giga Drain on any set, but generally the HP restoration is more useful than a slight boost in power.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Tentacool walls nearly every set Snover can run since its ability, Liquid Ooze, actually reverses the effect of Giga Drain and Leech Seed. When Snover does not have Hidden Power Fire, Steel-types such as Ferroseed, Bronzor, or even Pawniard will have no difficulty switching in and forcing Snover out. Stealth Rock does enough damage to Snover to discourage repeated switch-ins, and also makes it much easier to OHKO. Fighting-types typically take little from Blizzard and OHKO back with their STAB attacks. Notably, Mienfoo, a dominant force in the tier, can U-turn or Hi Jump Kick for stellar damage and then recover any damage it may have taken switching in courtesy of Regenerator. Lastly, Hippopotas is slower than nearly all variants of Snover, so it will always get sandstorm up if both it and Snover are sent out as a lead.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Snover gets the ability Soundproof from the Dream World, but moves such as Roar and Bug Buzz are becoming less and less prevalent, and Snover should be used for its ability to summon hail anyway.</p>