[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Freeze-Dry
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Water Pulse
item: Choice Specs
ability: Snow Cloak
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Specs Glaceon is one of PU's scariest wallbreakers, capable of putting immense pressure on even some of the tier's best special walls in Throh and Type: Null as a result of its sheer power. Freeze-Dry allows Glaceon to threaten Ice-resistant Water-types like Pyukumuku and Corsola, and it's also Glaceon's best option against Lapras. Shadow Ball allows Glaceon to OHKO Galarian Mr. Mime and threaten specially defensive Mr. Rime on the switch. It also hits Klang and opposing Glaceon harder than any other move Glaceon can viably run. Water Pulse targets Carkol, though it doesn't have much use outside of that. Frost Breath can allow Glaceon to get past bulky Calm Mind and Cosmic Power users like Musharna and Gothitelle in a pinch, but the move is virtually useless outside of this one purpose and cuts into Glaceon's already limited coverage. A Timid nature can be used to outspeed Adamant Falinks and Choice Band Fraxure as well as Speed tie with offensive Roselia. Glaceon could opt to use Choice Scarf to act as a revenge killer rather than a wallbreaker. Although this allows Glaceon to take care of +1 Adamant Fraxure and circumvent typical offensive checks like Silvally-Grass and Raichu, such a set severely reduces Glaceon's power and faces serious competition from Mr. Rime and Galarian Mr. Mime due to their higher Speed tiers, better coverage, and access to Healing Wish.
Glaceon's low Speed and poor defensive typing make it very easy to offensively pressure, so it appreciates having bulky teammates to fall back on in the face of faster Fire-, Fighting-, and Rock-types. Vibrava gives Glaceon an easier time switching in by removing entry hazards with Defog and generating momentum with U-turn. It's worth noting that a lot of Pokemon that Vibrava baits in and pivots out against, like Gloom and Togetic, find themselves easily exploited by Glaceon. Mareanie absorbs Toxic Spikes upon switching in, can wear teams down with its own Toxic Spikes, and also softens up bulky foes that depend on their item, like Type: Null and Lapras, with Knock Off. Although Glaceon is strong, it lacks the coverage to bypass dedicated Ice-type answers such as Munchlax and Klang. Wallbreakers like Mawile, Hitmontop, and Flame Orb Throh help to remedy this issue, and they appreciate Glaceon taking on physical walls like Mareanie, Shiinotic, and Gourgeist-XL. Mawile also provides Stealth Rock support to put further pressure on teams, while Hitmontop removes entry hazards with Rapid Spin. Glaceon has an easier time breaking through teams with Spikes support, essentially 2HKOing Type: Null after Stealth Rock and three layers of Spikes. Roselia is a great Spikes setter, capable of incapacitating foes like Klang with Sleep Powder and making them easier for Glaceon to overwhelm. Pivots like Manectric and Silvally-Bug can give Glaceon more opportunities to switch in, with both examples doubling as late-game sweepers that can exploit the holes that Glaceon leaves in teams earlier on. These pivots can annoy Pokemon like Lapras and Pawniard, while Glaceon can threaten Palpitoad and Carkol.
[SET]
name: Cleric
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Heal Bell
move 4: Freeze-Dry
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Snow Cloak
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Because of its decent bulk and near-unique access to both Wish and Heal Bell, Glaceon can serve as a cleric for balance teams. Freeze-Dry is used instead of Ice Beam to hit foes like Lapras and Seaking harder. Heavy-Duty Boots prevents Glaceon from being worn down by entry hazards, which allows it to more easily switch around and better preserve the health of it and its teammates. This immunity to entry hazards, alongside Glaceon's higher Special Attack and natural defenses, helps to separate it from Togetic, another cleric that similarly has access to Wish and Heal Bell. Although Glaceon has higher Defense than Special Defense, its poor defensive typing is easily exploited by many of the tier's physical attackers, including Mawile, Falinks, and Silvally-Rock. There are fewer specially offensive Pokemon that can do the same, and opting for a specially defensive set provides defensive teams with a secondary check to threats like Ludicolo and opposing Glaceon.
Stunfisk and physically defensive Mawile appreciate having their lack of reliable recovery mitigated by Wish support, and in return, they can absorb Knock Off and check threats that Glaceon is vulnerable to, such as Pawniard and Stonjourner. Pyukumuku can also absorb Knock Off as well as wall setup sweepers like Falinks and Crustle that threaten Glaceon thanks to Unaware. In return, Glaceon can relieve Pyukumuku of any potential status conditions, which is especially useful for Rest variants. Stronger special attackers like Beheeyem and Raichu are capable of overwhelming Glaceon, meaning that it should never be the only special wall on balance teams. Other specially bulky Pokemon such as Type: Null, Dusclops, Vibrava, and Munchlax make for great partners because of this, with Rest allowing all three examples to soak up status conditions for Glaceon as well. Glaceon allows these examples to rely less on Rest by providing them with Wish support. Checks to Fighting-types are useful partners, since they can often switch into Glaceon with ease. Mareanie is a notable example, since it can consistently check Fighting-types thanks to both Recover and Regenerator, further wears teams down through Scald and either Toxic or Toxic Spikes, takes pressure off of Glaceon's team by absorbing Toxic Spikes, and stops setup sweepers like Falinks in their tracks with Haze.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[asa, 400292]]
- Quality checked by: [[gum, 434150], [royesk, 474994]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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