Death By Ice (OU Hail RMT)

[KingdomBlade]

Death By Ice​

Hail. I got the idea while browsing through the smogon articles and went across the hail one. It sounded interesting so I gave it a go and built a team. It went great. I was surprised that hail has such a great strategy, wearing out opposing Pokemon while bombarding them with 100% accuracy Blizzards. I don't consider this to be much of a stall team but rather a more balanced hail team, taking strategies from both stall and offensive hail teams.

The Team at a Glance

Bronzong @ Focus Sash
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Gyro Ball

When using a hail team, what do you immediately expect? Abomasnow as the lead? Well, this is not the case. Bronzong makes the prime lead for this team. He has the ability to set up rocks, deal substantial damage to common leads, and explode in case of emergency, which has been pretty effective, since I was able to deal 83% damage (critical) to a Heatran that switched in when I exploded. I immediately thought of Abomasnow as my lead, but Bronzong is much more reliable as a lead. Bronzong has much more to do as a lead especially rocks which deal decent damage to switch-ins. Abomasnow's hail does not even come up sometimes until mid-game. It makes a great cover so that the opposing team doesn't see Hail coming.

The EV's are spread out for optimum defense, loaning more points into defense rather than Special Defense, since the majority of the leads are physical. Stealth Rock is the most essential attack. Earthquake for coverage, most especially to lead Heatran. Gyro Ball for powerful STAB. Explosion to commit suicide in problematic situations, since it has a good chance of KO'ing anything the doesn't resist it.

Abomasnow (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Snow Warning
EVs: 116 Atk / 252 Spd / 140 SAtk
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Blizzard
- Wood Hammer
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Abomasnow is essential to all Hail-based teams and this team is no exception. I decided to go a different direction. While most of the Abomasnow sets tend to go the support or defensive way, I instead used a Scarf on it. It means that when I switch in (normally when Bronzong dies), I can hit the opposing Pokemon. The moveset provides nearly full coverage, and Blizzards at 100 accuaracy nearly always going first is so great. Abomasnow also becomes an effective Revenge Killer mid or late game.

The EV's are spread out offensively. Atk is loaned for Wood Hammer and EQuake, while SPAtk for Blizzard and HP Fire. Max speed is the way to go to outspeed most Pokemon that aren't scarfed. Blizzard is for 100% accuracy with STAB, Wood Hammer for water type coverage and STAB, Earthquake is for Steel Types sometimes, and HP Fire is for other Ice Types or Steel Types with Levitate (like Bronzong).

Rotom-F @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Blizzard
- Thunderbolt

A simple RestTalk set for our little snoozing fridge. Rotom-F is here to block Rapid Spin as well as to wall a couple of specific threats. He also has access to Blizzard, which round out the BoltBeam combo for full coverage, and also has 100% in Hail. It tends to perform it's job very effectively, I just love it when I TBolt a Starmie back in the face.

The EV's defensively laid out, so I tend to not take that much damage when walling threats. Blizzard and TBolt for complete coverage and to take advantage of 100% accuracy, Rest and Sleep Talk, to well, obvious already.

Hariyama (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 172 Def / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Knock Off
- Whirlwind
- Stone Edge
- Cross Chop

Hariyama is supposedly "the best TTar counter". That title is very fitting. After one cross chop, that TTar went down really bad. Seriously, I outspeed it, unless it's scarfing (Hariyama can still take a hit because of it's massive HP). Which is pretty handy considering that Sand Stream could ruin my plans. It's also pretty handy against Skarmory, Weaville, and Blissey. It's incredibly versitile also. Whirlwind can help me to PHaze, and Knock Off to take off annoying leftovers on walls.

EV's are distributed to maximum attack to take down TTar, Skarmory, and Blissey with ease. Defense since most of the one I'm going to send it out to are attack based. Stone Edge and Cross Chop for good coverage. (I'm still thinking about changing Cross Chop with Brick Break or Close Combat, but I still can't decide, although Cross Chop is still very good, 100 Base Power, but the drawback is the accuracy.)

Tentacruel (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 4 Spd / 124 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Blizzard
- Surf

Tentacruel. Since the old days of RBY, I've been using this cruel octopus. It has a very handy movepool, able to set up toxic spikes, while being able to spin at the same time. It has a very good distribution of stats. It's both a spinner and a set up Pokemon, withe the ability to take a few hits and dish it out just the same.

The EV's are set up defensively for Tentacruel to take a few hits while it's doing it's job. Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes are fantastic utility moves, and they have saved my ass quite a few times. (like the time when this guy blew away my rocks and set up stealth rock, spikes and toxic spikes, I was able to rapid spin it) Blizzard to take advantage of the Hail, ad Surf for decent coverage and STAB.

Gliscor (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Roost
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Taunt

The final thing to round it all off. Gliscor is very fast, and has a wide array of helpful attacks at it's movepool. It is useful to take out several threats, such as Heatran or Magnezone or Electivire (unless it activated Motor Drive). Gliscor has a good strategy and it has amazing synergy with the rest of the team, like taking TBolts for Tentacruel. It can switch in to electric attacks without getting the least bit shaken. It's main weakness is to ice (x4), but that doesn't matter because Tentacruel can cover for it, and to x2 water attacks also.

The EVs have Max HP and Speed, because I need to outspeed a lot of things, and for max survivability. Roost is to heal, which might even annoy the opponent so much he'd want to quit. EQuake is for my main attacking move, and a very handy one at that. U-Turn is to be able to switch when an Ice Type comes in (but Ice Shard might be a problem, can someone figure out a way to deal with this?), and Taunt for utility or set-up Pokemon.

Short Threat List
I just put the Pokemon on the Hail article considered to be a threat. I don't want to bother with a full threat list.

Hariyama's Cross Chop. Nuff' said.

Outspeed with Gliscor and use EQuake, or on a desperate time, use Abomasnow's EQuake.

Bunch of ways to deal with this. EQuake from Gliscor, Abomasnow, or Bronzong. Surf from Tentacruel. Stone Edge from Hariyama.

EQuake, HP Fire, or the obvious one, Blizzard. Not that hard to KO when I have a scarfed Abomasnow. I don't think it can Spore before I attack when I'm using scarf.

Perhaps the most difficult one to deal with, but still quite possible, as all I just bombard it with powerful neutral STAB attacks, or Abomasnow, but it's so frail.

One of three EQuakes. Surf from Tentacruel.

Blizzard.... yeah.

Please rate, comment, or insult if you want! Anything to improve this team. It's not that good yet, still has a bunch of flaws.

 

[KingdomBlade]

BUMP. Normally, I wouldn't condone a bump, but I haven't received a reply yet.

 

[Nix_Hex]

I'm not very good at rating teams, but Abamosnow does not resist Bullet Punch, it is in fact weak to it, and devastatingly so. Bullet Punch from Choice Band Scizor lays it down to rest, while if you're facing a rare Scarf Scizor, it will outspeed you and kill you with U-turn. HP Fire will only work on the switch, really.

 

[KingdomBlade]

I'm not very good at rating teams, but Abamosnow does not resist Bullet Punch, it is in fact weak to it, and devastatingly so. Bullet Punch from Choice Band Scizor lays it down to rest, while if you're facing a rare Scarf Scizor, it will outspeed you and kill you with U-turn. HP Fire will only work on the switch, really.

I failed to listen to basic match-up classes. Hmmm.. it looks like I'll need a more reliable counter to Scizor. I could just use really powerful attacks like EQuake, but I might need a more reliable one since Swords Dance+Bullet Punch kills.

 

[Chrikke]

I don't see why you're using Abomasnow here. It's not a great pokemon overall, and not a single team member other than itself benefits from hail. Ice Beam can easily be used instead of Blizzard on Tentacruel, who's not offensively oriented anyway.

In fact, getting rid of both Blizzards and using Scarftar would benefit you in much greater ways. Doing so would put Scizor a mile above Hariyama for the task given as well.

The main reason for using hail is wearing down the heavily steel-oriented metagame, chipping away at their health while largely staying in good shape yourself, not boosting Blizzard's accuracy. I suggest you try to work in more ice pokemon. Walrein with Toxic over Tentacruel would work well imo.

Breloom should still recover even in hail, and might be a good replacement for Hariyama. You'll lose the ability to phaze though, but you'll have Spore.

Heatran would patch up your rather lacking fire check while effectively dealing with many counters.

There's a lot of tweaking to be done here, at least I believe so ;)

 

[/B/utterfree]

Rotom-F's moveset ought to change to have Will-o-wisp and Shadow Ball instead of RestTalk.

I strongly dislike RestTalk; it is hugely luck-based and very gimmicky. I lol at RestTalk Heatran and destroy it with Ground-type attacks, and actually tried a RestTalk Milotic that only lasted 5 seconds.

And instead of Hariyama, use Breloom. SubSporePunch is serious business. And with Toxic Orb and Poison Heal it can recover from Hail's residual damage fairly easily. Fourth move should be Leech Seed, for further heals, or Mach Punch for priority against Steel-types.

 

[Delko]

Hello

Nice Hail team but I got a few suggestions.

Bronzong is bulky enough to survive a couple of hits, making Focus Sash a redundant item. I suggest changing it to Leftovers. That way it can shrug of the Hail damage much easier.

On Calm Tentacruel you'll want 8 Spe Ev's to outspeed Breloom, a pretty dangerous pokemon for a Hail team to face. You can take 4 extra from Defense as it won't matter much.

On Hariyama you might want to change it to a more devensive variant so it can also counter Heatran (thanks to Flash Fire). I suggest this set:

Hariyama @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe / 172 SpD
Impish nature

- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Force Palm
- Payback

And a little comment to end with:

I don't see why you're using Abomasnow here. It's not a great pokemon overall, and not a single team member other than itself benefits from hail. Ice Beam can easily be used instead of Blizzard on Tentacruel, who's not offensively oriented anyway.

Abomasnow is an incredible good pokemon. I can check almost every special attacker without a Fire type attack. It's also the best counter to CM Suicune and Starmie, 2 very dangerous pokemon.

Hope this helped and good luck with the team!