[OVERVIEW]
Abomasnow is a Pokemon that on does not look great whatsoever on paper. Its awful defensive typing leaves it weak to some of the most common offensive typings in RU, such as Fire, Rock, and Fighting. Moreover outside of decent HP and mixed offensive stats, Abomasnow's stats are all mediocre. Despite these shortcomings, Abomasnow still remains a potent wallbreaker in this metagame. Though Abomasnow's typing is extremely poor defensively, it is stellar offensively. Abomasnow is able to take advantage of its ability Snow Warning by spamming Blizzard, which has 100% accuracy in hail, and use its Grass-type STAB moves to stop bulky Water-types from countering it. Furthermore, Abomasnow gets fantastic coverage outside of its STAB moves in either a Ground- or Fighting-type attack to hit Steel-types, as well as a priority STAB move in Ice Shard, which can be extremely helpful in certain situations. With proper team support, Abomasnow is extremely dangerous against balance teams thanks to the many opportunities it gets to punch holes into them, but without the proper support it can become dead weight.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Focus Blast / Earthquake
item: Life Orb
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Mild / Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Abomasnow takes advantage of its fantastic coverage and ability to freely spam Blizzard to break down slower teams. Blizzard is used as one of its main STAB moves; it is Abomasnow's hardest-hitting attack and can be difficult for a foe to switch into. Giga Drain is used as Abomasnow's second STAB move and works really well in collaboration with Blizzard. Not only does it hit the many bulky Water-types in RU that Blizzard would not dent, but it also helps make up for Life Orb recoil. Ice Shard is used as a tool to revenge kill weakened threats as well as just generally threaten Pokemon that would be used to revenge kill Abomasnow if it lacked Ice Shard such as Virizion, Flygon, and Aerodactyl. Focus Blast and Earthquake are used in attempt to cover Pokemon that resist both Grass- and Ice-type coverage. Focus Blast is good to hit bulky Steel-types such as Mega Steelix, Registeel, and Bronzong either for neutral or super effective damage but comes with the great risk of misses. Earthquake hits almost the same Pokemon but can also catch Pokemon such as Delphox on the switch in and can not miss, although it does not hit Bronzong. Furthermore, Earthquake does not hit Mega Steelix or Registeel as hard.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and Special Attack EVs make Abomasnow as strong and as fast as possible. For the nature, you can either run Mild, which adds some always appreciated extra power to Blizzard, or Hasty, which can be used to catch Pokemon such as Exploud and neutral-natured Samurott of guard. Life Orb is the preferred item to maximize Abomasnow's power and the recoil damage does not really matter because it gains back a lot of HP by using Giga Drain.
Usage Tips
========
When using Abomasnow, you should attempt to get it in as early as possible to try to put dents into teams early in the game. Abomasnow should be put onto teams that are looking for a strong wallbreaker that also has priority, since it is one of the only Pokemon that fit this description in RU. If Abomasnow risks taking a lot of damage without picking up a KO, it is often better to switch out and preserve Abomasnow's HP. Furthermore, Abomasnow should almost never be used as a switch-in unless the opponent is obviously going to do something that does a very small amount of damage to it. It should also not be used as a switch-in to Volt Switch users even though it does resist this move because that just gives the opponent a free switch into a Pokemon that can KO Abomasnow. Abomasnow can only really switch into bulky Water-types such as Alomomola, Slowking, and Jellicent, since most of the time they will only be clicking Scald and the burn for the most part does not matter, since this set is mostly special attacks. That being said, even switching into these Pokemon can be risky, since they can also use moves that hinder Abomasnow such as Thunder Wave, Knock Off, and Toxic.
Team Options
========
Abomasnow is bothered by entry hazards with its weakness to Stealth Rock as well as its vulnerability to Toxic Spikes and Spikes. Because of this, Abomasnow appreciates being paired with Rapid Spin or Defog users such as Flygon, Pelipper, and Blastoise. With this being said, Abomasnow also appreciates hazard users of its own such as Qwilfish, Garbodor, and Roselia, which help further weaken and wear down its switch-ins. It is worth mentioning that the combination of Spikes and Defog is counterintuitive, so a spinner is preferred if going down this route. Abomasnow, as well as with most wallbreakers, appreciates Pokemon that can use Baton Pass, Volt Switch, or U-turn such as Flygon, Choice Specs Meloetta, Eelektross, and Manectric to gain momentum, as they can lure Pokemon in and let Abomasnow get a free attack off. Abomasnow's main checks and switch-ins are Steel-types, so Magnet Rise Magneton can work pretty well with Abomasnow by trapping Pokemon such as Mega Steelix, Escavalier, and Bronzong. If you use Magneton, make sure to add Pokemon that deal with Fighting-types, since you are doubling up on that weakness.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Wood Hammer over Giga Drain is a possibility to check Calm Mind Slowking, but it makes Abomasnow KO itself really quickly, which is unfortunate. Abomasnow can also run a Choiced set with either Choice Specs or Choice Scarf. A Choice Specs set spams Blizzard even more so than the normal set and is even stronger, which can be a huge plus. Choice Scarf can make Abomasnow a pretty decent lure because it can KO Pokemon that think they outspeed it such as Virizion, Venusaur, and Houndoom; the downside to this set is that it only outruns up to base 110 Speed Pokemon, so Sneasel and Aerodactyl can easily revenge KO it. Furthermore, once it is revealed that it is carrying Choice Scarf, it is automatically less threatening and can become dead weight. Abomasnow can run 156 Attack and 100 Speed EVs instead of the standard spread to OHKO Flygon after Stealth Rock, but this is extremely situational and the Speed is much more helpful most of the time. Abomasnow also has access to Swords Dance, but generally speaking this set is pretty bad, since its checks are abundant and normal Abomasnow doesn't have the bulk needed to set up on many things.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: The only two Pokemon in this tier that counter Abomasnow to an extent, Bronzong and Escavalier, are both Steel-type. Other Steel-types such as Mega Steelix and Magneton can all work as solid checks, though they must be wary of Abomasnow's coverage moves.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types usually should not switch into Abomasnow unless they absolutely need to because Blizzard does a lot of damage to all of them. That being said, Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, and Emboar all make for good checks to Abomasnow, since they resist Ice Shard and easily OHKO it.
**Fighting-types**: Every Fighting-type in the tier, excluding unboosted Scrafty and uninvested Hitmontop, outspeed and OHKO Abomasnow, making all of them outside of the ones mentioned reliable checks.
**Faster Pokemon**: Abomasnow has no way of beating Pokemon faster than it that can KO it. The best Abomasnow can do is Ice Shard, which will bounce off of anything that is not weak to it. Pokemon such as Exploud, Meloetta, Fletchinder, and Mega Glalie all fall into these categories.
**Entry Hazards**: Abomasnow is extremely weak to hazards to the point where Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes pressures it heavily. After a few switches and rounds of Life Orb recoil, Abomasnow just KOes itself.
Abomasnow is a Pokemon that on does not look great whatsoever on paper. Its awful defensive typing leaves it weak to some of the most common offensive typings in RU, such as Fire, Rock, and Fighting. Moreover outside of decent HP and mixed offensive stats, Abomasnow's stats are all mediocre. Despite these shortcomings, Abomasnow still remains a potent wallbreaker in this metagame. Though Abomasnow's typing is extremely poor defensively, it is stellar offensively. Abomasnow is able to take advantage of its ability Snow Warning by spamming Blizzard, which has 100% accuracy in hail, and use its Grass-type STAB moves to stop bulky Water-types from countering it. Furthermore, Abomasnow gets fantastic coverage outside of its STAB moves in either a Ground- or Fighting-type attack to hit Steel-types, as well as a priority STAB move in Ice Shard, which can be extremely helpful in certain situations. With proper team support, Abomasnow is extremely dangerous against balance teams thanks to the many opportunities it gets to punch holes into them, but without the proper support it can become dead weight.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Focus Blast / Earthquake
item: Life Orb
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Mild / Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Abomasnow takes advantage of its fantastic coverage and ability to freely spam Blizzard to break down slower teams. Blizzard is used as one of its main STAB moves; it is Abomasnow's hardest-hitting attack and can be difficult for a foe to switch into. Giga Drain is used as Abomasnow's second STAB move and works really well in collaboration with Blizzard. Not only does it hit the many bulky Water-types in RU that Blizzard would not dent, but it also helps make up for Life Orb recoil. Ice Shard is used as a tool to revenge kill weakened threats as well as just generally threaten Pokemon that would be used to revenge kill Abomasnow if it lacked Ice Shard such as Virizion, Flygon, and Aerodactyl. Focus Blast and Earthquake are used in attempt to cover Pokemon that resist both Grass- and Ice-type coverage. Focus Blast is good to hit bulky Steel-types such as Mega Steelix, Registeel, and Bronzong either for neutral or super effective damage but comes with the great risk of misses. Earthquake hits almost the same Pokemon but can also catch Pokemon such as Delphox on the switch in and can not miss, although it does not hit Bronzong. Furthermore, Earthquake does not hit Mega Steelix or Registeel as hard.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and Special Attack EVs make Abomasnow as strong and as fast as possible. For the nature, you can either run Mild, which adds some always appreciated extra power to Blizzard, or Hasty, which can be used to catch Pokemon such as Exploud and neutral-natured Samurott of guard. Life Orb is the preferred item to maximize Abomasnow's power and the recoil damage does not really matter because it gains back a lot of HP by using Giga Drain.
Usage Tips
========
When using Abomasnow, you should attempt to get it in as early as possible to try to put dents into teams early in the game. Abomasnow should be put onto teams that are looking for a strong wallbreaker that also has priority, since it is one of the only Pokemon that fit this description in RU. If Abomasnow risks taking a lot of damage without picking up a KO, it is often better to switch out and preserve Abomasnow's HP. Furthermore, Abomasnow should almost never be used as a switch-in unless the opponent is obviously going to do something that does a very small amount of damage to it. It should also not be used as a switch-in to Volt Switch users even though it does resist this move because that just gives the opponent a free switch into a Pokemon that can KO Abomasnow. Abomasnow can only really switch into bulky Water-types such as Alomomola, Slowking, and Jellicent, since most of the time they will only be clicking Scald and the burn for the most part does not matter, since this set is mostly special attacks. That being said, even switching into these Pokemon can be risky, since they can also use moves that hinder Abomasnow such as Thunder Wave, Knock Off, and Toxic.
Team Options
========
Abomasnow is bothered by entry hazards with its weakness to Stealth Rock as well as its vulnerability to Toxic Spikes and Spikes. Because of this, Abomasnow appreciates being paired with Rapid Spin or Defog users such as Flygon, Pelipper, and Blastoise. With this being said, Abomasnow also appreciates hazard users of its own such as Qwilfish, Garbodor, and Roselia, which help further weaken and wear down its switch-ins. It is worth mentioning that the combination of Spikes and Defog is counterintuitive, so a spinner is preferred if going down this route. Abomasnow, as well as with most wallbreakers, appreciates Pokemon that can use Baton Pass, Volt Switch, or U-turn such as Flygon, Choice Specs Meloetta, Eelektross, and Manectric to gain momentum, as they can lure Pokemon in and let Abomasnow get a free attack off. Abomasnow's main checks and switch-ins are Steel-types, so Magnet Rise Magneton can work pretty well with Abomasnow by trapping Pokemon such as Mega Steelix, Escavalier, and Bronzong. If you use Magneton, make sure to add Pokemon that deal with Fighting-types, since you are doubling up on that weakness.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Wood Hammer over Giga Drain is a possibility to check Calm Mind Slowking, but it makes Abomasnow KO itself really quickly, which is unfortunate. Abomasnow can also run a Choiced set with either Choice Specs or Choice Scarf. A Choice Specs set spams Blizzard even more so than the normal set and is even stronger, which can be a huge plus. Choice Scarf can make Abomasnow a pretty decent lure because it can KO Pokemon that think they outspeed it such as Virizion, Venusaur, and Houndoom; the downside to this set is that it only outruns up to base 110 Speed Pokemon, so Sneasel and Aerodactyl can easily revenge KO it. Furthermore, once it is revealed that it is carrying Choice Scarf, it is automatically less threatening and can become dead weight. Abomasnow can run 156 Attack and 100 Speed EVs instead of the standard spread to OHKO Flygon after Stealth Rock, but this is extremely situational and the Speed is much more helpful most of the time. Abomasnow also has access to Swords Dance, but generally speaking this set is pretty bad, since its checks are abundant and normal Abomasnow doesn't have the bulk needed to set up on many things.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: The only two Pokemon in this tier that counter Abomasnow to an extent, Bronzong and Escavalier, are both Steel-type. Other Steel-types such as Mega Steelix and Magneton can all work as solid checks, though they must be wary of Abomasnow's coverage moves.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types usually should not switch into Abomasnow unless they absolutely need to because Blizzard does a lot of damage to all of them. That being said, Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, and Emboar all make for good checks to Abomasnow, since they resist Ice Shard and easily OHKO it.
**Fighting-types**: Every Fighting-type in the tier, excluding unboosted Scrafty and uninvested Hitmontop, outspeed and OHKO Abomasnow, making all of them outside of the ones mentioned reliable checks.
**Faster Pokemon**: Abomasnow has no way of beating Pokemon faster than it that can KO it. The best Abomasnow can do is Ice Shard, which will bounce off of anything that is not weak to it. Pokemon such as Exploud, Meloetta, Fletchinder, and Mega Glalie all fall into these categories.
**Entry Hazards**: Abomasnow is extremely weak to hazards to the point where Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes pressures it heavily. After a few switches and rounds of Life Orb recoil, Abomasnow just KOes itself.
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