Frostbite (Offensive Hail)

[Dinosaurs]

Offesive Hail Team
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I have tried the defensive hail and didn't like it too much, so I switched to the offensive side. This team has had ok results on showdown, but would like to get some feedback from the rest of you. ​

Abomasnow (Yeti) @ Choice Scarf
Snow Warning + Hasty
96 HP/80 ATK/80 SP ATK/252 Spe
1. Blizzard
2. Giga Drain
3. Earthquake
4. Hidden Power Fire

Abomasnow is my lead for the main reason of summoning hail. It is also a mixed attacker and is given choice scarf to have the ability of outspeeding some pokes. Blizzard and Giga Drain provide STAB. The 96 HP is there for bulkiness. In my testing this has been more usefull than sub seed which I used and did poorly with. Hidden power fire is for coverage of grass types. Giga Drain handles polititoad, but Ninetails and T-tar are big problems.



Kyurem (Baldur) @ Choice Scarf
Pressure + Hasty
80 HP/ 200 ATK/200 SP ATK/28 SPE

1. Blizzard
2. Outrage
3. Roost
4. Shadowball

Kyurem is my main sweeper. Like Abomasnow I decided on a mixed sweeper and gave it STAB Blizzard and Outrage. Roost helps it to heal, though in an ideal situation Kyurem comes out late and doesn't have much to handle. Shadowball helps to cover psychic types like Alakazam. I was worried about speed witch is why it is choice scarf. I chose Kyurem over the new versions due to its mixed attack abilities.



Alakazam (Willow) @ Leftovers
Magic Guard + Timid
100 HP/ 208 SP ATK/ 200 SPE

1. Psychic
2. Shadowball
3. Energyball
4. Recover

Alakazam is my special sweeper. It isn;t hurt by the hail due to magic guard. Psychic is the STAB move and shadowball and energy ball are coverage for psychic types and t-tar. recover just to recover, I used to run calm mind, but I usually didn't need it. Alakazam has won many battles for me, and has sometimes nearly eliminated the need for kyurem. Alakazam can outspeed most sweepers with base 130.



Heatran (Vulcan) @ Air Balloon
Flash Fire + Modest
100 HP/ 252 SP ATK/ 156 SPE

1. Earth Power
2. Fire Blast
3. Stealth Rock
4. Roar

I chose to keep with an offensive, but bulky heatran set. I've used it in a similar role in the past with decent results. Fire Blast for STAB and Earth Power for coverage. Stealth Rock and then Roar to help spread the damage. It is my check to sun teams and can suck up fire attacks as a switch in. It also has the ground immunity for a little while with Air balloon.



Dugtrio (Digger) @ Life Orb
Arena Trap + Lonely

1. Earthquake
2. Reversal
3. Stone Edge
4. Hidden Power Grass

This is a pokemon that I initially put in to destroy the other weather pokemon's lead. However it isn't working very well. I chose Life Orb because I knew it was essentially a suicide pokemon. It was meant to trap and hit with either Earthquake or hidden power grass to make the hail permanant. It really hasn't worked. usually on a switch t-tar earthquakes me and politoad scald. Ninetales gets hit hard by him, but thats about it. still not a guarentee. This is one that may need replaced.



Cloyster (Sheldon) @ Life Orb
Skill Link + Adamant
80 HP/ 252 ATK/ 176 SPE

1. Icicle Spear
2. Rock Blast
3. Rapid Spin
4. Toxic Spikes

Cloyster is here to help with entry hazards. However the defense and offense it provides are amazing help. The added bulk has helped it survive to get one last hit in and skill link ensures 5 hits. Toxic Spikes are just here for some added help to my sweepers. Life Orb for the added strength which comes in handy in close battles (though also a curse).

This team has had good results, although sometimes my whole team has been killed before the sweepers can sweep. Though it isn't a huge problem. The biggest threats are fire and fighting moves. the team has been wiped out by single pokemon until the sweepers are forced out and take control until they are eventually defeated. I need help with counters to help kill the opposing lead for weather, and am willing to have a different lead instead of abomasnow and use it for a later time. Dugtrio is at times a good revenge killer, but is to frail to really be of any use.

 

[jpw234]

While I love hail, I'm not positive that offensive hail is viable in this metagame. For example, Scarf Terrakion OHKOs every member of your team, and Scarf Keldeo gets everybody but perhaps Kyurem, who is probably 2HKOed. Having three ice types and then adding to your fighting weakness with Heatran just makes you too weak to common, powerful attackers. I'd definitely use Tentacruel or Forretress as your spinner for a physical fighting check, and probably change Dugtrio to something like Gliscor or perhaps physically defensive Latias in order to absorb these hits, but I'm not sure that that's enough. Good luck, though.

 

[Halcyon.]

Hi Dinosaurs! Hail is my favorite weather to use (probably because Kyruem is so freakin' amazing), so kudos for making a hail team! Though I will say that, since I have a bit of experience with Hail, it is definitely more of a balanced/defensive weather, so if that doesn't suit you, I would suggest something like Rain or Sun instead. BUT, I'm here to help with your current team, and that is just what I'll do!

The first thing that I notice about your team is that some of the sets are a little odd. For example, you gave your Kyurem a Choice Scarf, but also gave it Roost. There are two main issues with that: first, Kyurem really shouldn't be a Scarfer. It is mostly outclassed by Scarf Kyurem-B, and is also beaten by many common Scarfers like Terrkion, Keldeo, and Garchomp, which can all OHKO you, or at least do significant damage. Not only that, but your EVs are all wrong for Kyurem anyway. If you want a mixed attacker, I suggest using Sub Kyurem-B over Scarf Kyurem. Kyurem-B has much, MUCH higher attack than Kyurem, while only sacrificing 10 points in special attack. His attack is one of the most feared moves in the game, right up there with Deoxys-A. With moves like Blizzard and Earth Power off of base 120 SAtk to do significant damage on the special side as well. Kyurem-B is also one of the most fearsome Pokemon behind a Substitute, as many things are 2HKO'd by one of his coverage moves.

Your Alakazam set also seems off. I would switch Leftovers--->Focus Sash and change the moveset to the one below. Alakazam is one of the best revenge killers in the game, and if you can save him for the right time, he can revenge kill those pesky Keldeo and Terrakion with Psyshock. It's a minor change, but it really makes a difference.

Next, your Heatran should be an even bulkier set, because you'll need it to be constantly absorbing Fire attacks as well as Dragon attacks, so I suggest Specially Defensive Heatran over your bulky offensive one. Like I said, you need this thing to be able to tank hits from dragons and fire types like Volcarona, which otherwise give you some trouble, so keeping him alive as long as possible is necessary.

Dugtrio seems pretty useless on your team, since you can't give it a Focus Sash, and Ninetales is really the only weather starter Dugtrio traps (Tyranitar can OHKO, but you can't). I'm going to do a complete 180° here, and tell you to use Physically Defensive Celebi over your Dugtrio. As I said, Dugtrio doesn't do much for your team, but Celebi will. Celebi can also help to counter all sorts of threats, such as Keldeo, Terrakion (without X-Scissor), and Breloom, which otherwise give you quite a bit of trouble. It can also Thunder Wave threats to the team that then allow you to more easily set up with Kyurem-B.

Finally, Cloyster just isn't effective as a spinner. It's best bet is an offensive set, but since hail teams are almost required to have a spinner, I'm going to recommend Specially Defensive Tentacruel over Cloyster. Tentacruel does plenty for your team. It can spin away nasty hazards, but it can also spread burns with Scald or Toxic threats need to have their health whittled away before you can KO them with Kyurem-B. Tentacruel also gives you a solid check against rain teams in general, since only Thundurus-T and Rotom-W are threats to Tentacruel, and Celebi stops those pretty easily. Toxic Spikes (though not normally very effective) will give you a more reliable way of dealing with Chansey and Blissey, which otherwise are troublesome for your team.

Finally, you say that Ninetales and Tyranitar give your Abomasnow trouble. To fix at least the Tyranitar problem, I would switch Giga Drain--->Wood Hammer, which is a much better move to smack Tyranitar with than Giga Drain. I would also switch up the EVs a bit, but you'll see that in the set below. With them, Abomasnow can 2HKO all the weather starters with the appropriate move.

Sets

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Kyurem-Black @ Leftovers
Trait: Teravolt
EVs: 56 HP / 252 SAtk / 196 Spd / 4 Atk
Hasty Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Substitute

Alakazam @ Focus Sash
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Heatran @ Leftovers
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Spd / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Lava Plume
- Roar
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic / Earth Power

Celebi @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spd
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Psychic
- Recover
- Thunder Wave

Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Trait: Rain Dish
EVs: 20 Spd / 236 SDef / 252 HP
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Protect
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic Spikes

Abomasnow @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Snow Warning
EVs: 242 Spd / 252 SAtk / 16 Atk
Naive Nature
- Blizzard
- Hidden Power [Fire] / Focus Blast
- Earthquake
- Wood Hammer

Hope I was able to help. Good luck with the team!

 

[Dinosaurs]

Wow Halcyon... that was seriously the most informative response I've ever gotten for one of my teams lol. I will be play testing these tonight. I forgot all about wood hammer (Iam still a NOOB). And I agree that it hail should be more defensive, but I like the surprise factor :)