Overview
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Thanks to its high base 115 Speed and ability to dispatch most of the offensive threats it outspeeds, such as Virizion and Cobalion, as well as a good offensive typing which grants it STAB on key moves like Knock Off, Pursuit, and Ice Shard, Sneasel is a great revenge killer, Psychic-type check, and late-game cleaner. Sadly, it is very frail, highly susceptible to entry hazards and common priority moves such as Mach Punch, and incredibly hard to switch in, as even resisted moves will take a huge chunk out of its HP. Also, while its base 95 Attack is definitely usable, it isn't on par with the Attack stats of some of the most threatening Pokemon in RU, including Hitmonlee and Sharpedo. These traits mean Sneasel should be used with caution, because it's easy to be OHKOed if the opponent survives its attacks.
All-Out Attacker
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name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Ice Punch / Pursuit
ability: Inner Focus
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Knock Off is Sneasel's main STAB move. It is reliable and deals considerable damage to most Pokemon, OHKOing common Pokemon such as Moltres after Stealth Rock damage, Meloetta, and Delphox; and has the added bonus of removing opponents' items. Ice Shard is mainly used to pick off faster Pokemon such as Dugtrio, Jolteon, and Choice Scarf users. Low Kick covers Cobalion and Registeel, 2HKOing both of them if they decide to switch into Sneasel. As Ice Shard's Base Power is low, Ice Punch is used to hit Amoonguss, Gligar, and other slower Pokemon weak to Ice harder. However, Pursuit is an excellent option too, as it gives Sneasel the ability to support offensive powerhouses such as Moltres and Delphox by trapping their biggest counter, Slowking, as well as other Psychic-type Pokemon. Swords Dance is also an option in the last slot, but it is generally inferior, due to how hard it is to find opportunities to set up.
Set Details
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The EV spread is simple, maxing out Sneasel's Attack and Speed, which are pretty much the only stats it needs to fulfill its role. A Jolly nature allows it to outspeed a myriad of threats, including Cobalion, Virizion, and Delphox. As Sneasel needs as much power as it can get, Life Orb is the optimal item.
Usage Tips
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Sneasel shouldn't be used to punch holes through the enemy team like Choice Specs Meloetta, Moltres, and other wallbreakers. Instead, it should aim to revenge kill weakened targets and clean up during later stages of the game using its high Speed, strong Knock Off, and priority Ice Shard. In most circumstances, switching Sneasel in directly is a bad idea, as most Pokemon, even those that are weaker offensively such as Alomomola and Aromatisse, can do considerable damage to it or cripple it through status effects. The best way to get Sneasel in is either through the use of U-turn or Volt Switch or by smartly double switching it in. Even then, it should beware of Pokemon such as Hitmonlee and Fletchinder with strong priority moves, as well as Choice Scarf-holding threats, as those can easily OHKO Sneasel. Another way of using Sneasel is to Pursuit trap Psychic-type Pokemon and weaken bulkier Pokemon in order to make it easier for wallbreakers such as Hitmonlee, Meloetta, and Moltres to break through the opposing team.
Team Options
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Pokemon with the ability to punch holes through the enemy team, creating scenarios where Sneasel can come in and clean up, make fine teammates. Examples of Pokemon that can fill this role are Hitmonlee, Meloetta, and Moltres; the latter two also have U-turn and can lure in Pokemon such as Slowking, creating favorable situations for Sneasel to come in and fulfill its role. Sneasel benefits a lot from entry hazard control on both sides. Omastar, Accelgor, and Qwilfish can set Spikes up easily, with the first also having access to Stealth Rock. Sandslash can set up Stealth Rock, use Rapid Spin, and wear Doublade down. Cobalion has access to Volt Switch to bring Sneasel in safely, making it another good option to set up Stealth Rock. Pokemon that benefit from Sneasel's ability to check most Psychic-types with its presence alone are also good teammates. Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and the aforementioned Hitmonlee are probably the most obvious examples of such Pokemon.
Other Options
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Iron Tail and Poison Jab can be used to 2HKO Aromatisse, although the latter only 2HKOes the specially defensive variant. The drawbacks are accuracy, in Iron Tail's case, and the fact that it's hard to replace any of the moves on the set. Icicle Crash wouldn't be a bad option as an Ice-type STAB move if it were legal with Knock Off, which is Sneasel's strongest move. Having to sacrifice Knock Off for Icicle Crash make the latter an inferior option overall. Choice Band Sneasel looks good at first, as Knock Off is spammable and Sneasel benefits from the extra power. However, it benefits even more from the ability to switch moves, making Choice Band an inferior option in the end. Due to Sneasel's NFE status, Eviolite is an appealing option. It is heavily outclassed by Life Orb, however, as Sneasel really needs the extra power, and even with Eviolite's defense boost, it remains very easy to KO. What is said about Eviolite can also be applied to Focus Sash, although it is slightly better than Eviolite. Either Foul Play or Punishment can be used over Knock Off as stronger revenge killing tools, but Knock Off usually does the trick and is more consistent.
Checks & Counters
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**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon with good bulk that don't take super effective damage from any of Sneasel's STAB moves can take a hit and either OHKO it or cripple it for the rest of the game. Examples of this are Aromatisse, Alomomola, and Cobalion, although Cobalion needs to be at full HP.
**Revenge Killers**: Pokemon that outspeed Sneasel, tank an Ice Shard, and OHKO it back, such as Jolteon and +1 Sharpedo, are good checks to Sneasel. This also applies to most Pokemon with Choice Scarf and those with at least neutral damage priority moves, such as Hitmonlee and Fletchinder, which can finish Sneasel off with Mach Punch and Acrobatics respectively.
**Passive Damage**: Sneasel takes 25% damage from Stealth Rock every time it switches in, is affected by Spikes, and is almost always holding a Life Orb, which means it is relatively easy to wear down before it does any considerable damage.
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