UU Hail Article (WIP)

Ok so Snunch gave the skeleton the go-ahead, so I'm going to start writing what will be merged into the OU hail article.


UU Guide to Hail

CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Effects of Hail
3. Strategies
4. Summoners of Hail (Abomasnow & Snover)
5. Abusers of Hail
* Offensive
*Defensive
6. Supporters
7. Threats to Hail
8. Teambuilding
*defensive
*offensive / balanced

Introduction

Although hail is shunned in OU in favor of more powerful weather in rain, sand, and rain, hail finds itself welcome in the tier immediately lower. UU provides an excellent abode for hail, thanks to most of its best counters being out of the way. Hail itself can be used in a few different ways, both offensively and defensively. As an added plus, there are nearly no hail abusers that are banned from UU, with the major exception of Kyurem. These abusers, again, can be either offensive or defensive, usually taking advantage of the added effects that hail has when it is in effect on the battlefield.

For a hail team to be effective, it must be fairly diverse. There is a misconception by the uninformed that hail teams are usually solely Ice-type Pokemon - this is a false statement. Although many of hail's most powerful abusers are Ice-types, there are many other Pokemon on a hail team that can work effectively, both providing useful resistances and abusing it. Hail must also be able to come out on top of the other dominant weather in UU, sand. These are all general statements; this guide will expand on this as well as other topics, helping you use hail effectively in UU.

Effects of Hail


(I'll give each effect a description FYI, and these are only relevant effects)

Any Pokemon that isn't an Ice-type or has one of the abilities: Magic Guard, Snow Cloak, Ice Body, Overcoat takes 6.25% damage every turn - This trait is shared with sand, and can is detrimental to many Pokemon. Perhaps from this fact comes the misconception outlined in the introduction, that "a hail team is only made of Ice-types". It does indeed limit the amount of Pokemon on a team that don't rely on Leftovers to negate this. Any Pokemon that isn't immune to hail damage on your team will find its lifespan significantly shortened when hail is up, so take that into consideration. However, by no means does this effect limit the viability of hail. In fact, this is usually a helpful trait, wearing down the opponent faster than otherwise.

  • The move Blizzard has perfect accuracy
  • Moonlight, Morning Sun, and Synthesis recover 1/4 of the user's maximum HP
  • Any Pokemon with the ability: Ice Body recovers 6.25% of its HP
  • Any Pokemon with the ability: Snow Cloak forces the opponents moves to 80% of their previous accuracy
Strategies When Using Hail
  • Hail Stall is probably one of the most well known, or at least its main abuser Walrein is. Best used with Toxic Spikes and other entry hazards.
  • Offensively, BlizzSpam is a relevant strategy due to the sheer power of the move, though most of the time it will be taking advantage of that as a side effect, seeing as hail's passive damage is often what counts the most
Summoners of Hail
  • Abomasnow is the go-to starter of Hail, as it is the only one that is fully evolved and can abuse it well. However, it has quite a few common weaknesses, so give it some support if you want to keep it alive
  • Snover is also an option, and can be used as a secondary hail starter while also being somewhat bulky thanks to Eviolite. Abomasnow almost always is better though
Abusers of Hail


Offensive

in no particular order -
  • Mamoswine
  • Froslass
  • Kingdra
  • Glaceon
  • Nidoking
  • Empoleon
  • Weavile
  • Alakazam

Defensive
  • WALREIN
  • Froslass
  • Empoleon
  • Cryogonal
  • Suicune
  • Rotom-F
  • Hariyama
  • Mew
  • Dusclops
  • Snorlax
  • Hitmontop
  • Milotic
  • Blastoise
Pokemon that can support a Hail Team

idk what else to put, since this includes both offensive and defensive mons

  • Nidoqueen
  • Registeel
  • Porygon2
  • Dusclops
  • Deoxys-D
  • Azumarill
  • Rotom-H
Threats to Hail
  • Fire-types (mainly Rotom-H, Chandelure, Victini, and Darmanitan)
  • SAND
  • Steel-types (mainly empoleon, bisharp, and ESCAVALIER)
  • FIghting-types (offensive ones like Machamp)
  • Toxic Spikes (users? idk but it messes with Hail Stall)
  • Alakazam
Teambuilding

Offensive

  • workin on it
Defensive
  • yeah same here
Introduction

  • hail is probably one of the dominating forces of UU right now, Abomasnow being banned from DPP UU
  • Very diverse playstyle in part because so many of its abusers reside in the lower tiers
  • to reach its full potential, it often needs a team to be centered around it taking advantage of it while at the same time fending off sand or Sunny Day / Rain Dance
Effects of Hail








(I'll give each effect a description FYI, and these are only relevant effects)
  • Any Pokemon that isn't an Ice-type or has one of the abilities: Magic Guard, Snow Cloak, Ice Body, Overcoat takes 6.25% of passive damage
  • The move Blizzard has perfect accuracy
  • Moonlight, Morning Sun, and Synthesis recover 1/4 of the user's maximum HP
  • Any Pokemon with the ability: Ice Body recovers 6.25% of its HP
  • Any Pokemon with the ability: Snow Cloak forces the opponents moves to 80% of their previous accuracy
Strategies When Using Hail
  • Hail Stall is probably one of the most well known, or at least its main abuser Walrein is. Best used with Toxic Spikes and other entry hazards.
  • Offensively, BlizzSpam is a relevant strategy due to the sheer power of the move, though most of the time it will be taking advantage of that as a side effect, seeing as hail's passive damage is often what counts the most
Summoners of Hail
  • Abomasnow is the go-to starter of Hail, as it is the only one that is fully evolved and can abuse it well. However, it has quite a few common weaknesses, so give it some support if you want to keep it alive
  • Snover is also an option, and can be used as a secondary hail starter while also being somewhat bulky thanks to Eviolite. Abomasnow almost always is better though
Abusers of Hail



Offensive










in no particular order -
  • Mamoswine
  • Froslass
  • Kingdra
  • Glaceon
  • Nidoking
  • Empoleon
  • Weavile
  • Alakazam

Defensive
  • WALREIN
  • Froslass
  • Empoleon
  • Cryogonal
  • Suicune
  • Rotom-F
  • Hariyama
  • Mew
  • Dusclops
  • Snorlax
  • Hitmontop
  • Milotic
  • Blastoise
Pokemon that can support a Hail Team


idk what else to put, since this includes both offensive and defensive mons

  • Nidoqueen
  • Registeel
  • Porygon2
  • Dusclops
  • Deoxys-D
  • Azumarill
  • Rotom-H
Threats to Hail
  • Fire-types (mainly Rotom-H, Chandelure, Victini, and Darmanitan)
  • SAND
  • Steel-types (mainly empoleon, bisharp, and ESCAVALIER)
  • FIghting-types (offensive ones like Machamp)
  • Toxic Spikes (users? idk but it messes with Hail Stall)
  • Alakazam
Teambuilding


Offensive

  • workin on it
Defensive
  • yeah same here
 

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