[OVERVIEW]
Ninetales serves as RU's premier sun setter due to its superb offensive utility in support of the weather-based attackers ran alongside it, usually consisting of Chlorophyll users like Venusaur and Hisuian Lilligant, as well as strong Fire-types like Entei and Armarouge. Additionally, its decent bulk and Speed allow it to consistently use its ability to set up sun multiple times throughout a match. Ninetales's weakness to Stealth Rock, caused by its inability to run Heavy-Duty Boots, is made up for through utility options in Encore, which discourages setup and recovery; Will-O-Wisp, which cripples physical attackers; and Healing Wish, which restores damaged sweepers and wallbreakers to a healthy state. While Ninetales provides assistance to its allies through sun, the opposite can also be true, as it gives a boost moves used by already threatening foes like Entei's Sacred Fire and Armarouge's Armor Cannon. The tier is no stranger to weather either, with all forms of it having some semblance of viability, which creates strife in Ninetales's job to keep up sun for the majority of a game.
[Strategy Comments]
Other Options
====
Overheat and Scorching Sands shore up Ninetales's less-than-threatening offensive presence, though they come at the cost of consistent damage output and utility. Memento can be used over Healing Wish to give easier setup opportunities for teammates like Venusaur and Hisuian Lilligant, though this comes at the cost of the team's overall longevity. Tera Ghost can be ran over Grass to provide additional utility, giving it the properties of a spinblocker, as well as a Fighting-type immunity.
Checks & Counters
====
**Hippowdon & Other Opposing Weather Setters**: With Ninetales's main role being to set sun for its team, foes that have the ability to change the weather threaten it. Hippowdon is the most common of the weather setters in the tier with its Sand Stream ability, and it also threatens a super effective Earthquake as well as having the opportunity to set up Stealth Rock. Politoed's Drizzle and Alolan Ninetales's Snow Warning also change the sun Ninetales sets up into a different weather.
**Fire-types**: The likes of Volcanion, Armarouge, and Entei all have free entry on Ninetales, as they all take negligible damage from Flamethrower and Energy Ball; they are also immune to Will-O-Wisp and gain a boost to their STAB moves thanks to the sun.
**Dragon-types**: Cyclizar and Noivern are unthreatened by sun-boosted Flamethrower and can switch in to get free chip damage and momentum, only being pestered by Will-o-Wisp.
**Stealth Rock & Knock Off**: Stealth Rock's sizable chip damage can make Ninetales more vulnerable over the course of a game and hinder its role in setting up sun multiple times, decreasing sun's presence in the game. Similarly, having Ninetales be hit by a Knock Off will remove its Heat Rock, cutting down the turns that sun is active.
[Credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hoops.633048/
Quality Checked By:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/heatranator.647728/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rarelyme.513635/
Grammar Checked By:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Ninetales serves as RU's premier sun setter due to its superb offensive utility in support of the weather-based attackers ran alongside it, usually consisting of Chlorophyll users like Venusaur and Hisuian Lilligant, as well as strong Fire-types like Entei and Armarouge. Additionally, its decent bulk and Speed allow it to consistently use its ability to set up sun multiple times throughout a match. Ninetales's weakness to Stealth Rock, caused by its inability to run Heavy-Duty Boots, is made up for through utility options in Encore, which discourages setup and recovery; Will-O-Wisp, which cripples physical attackers; and Healing Wish, which restores damaged sweepers and wallbreakers to a healthy state. While Ninetales provides assistance to its allies through sun, the opposite can also be true, as it gives a boost moves used by already threatening foes like Entei's Sacred Fire and Armarouge's Armor Cannon. The tier is no stranger to weather either, with all forms of it having some semblance of viability, which creates strife in Ninetales's job to keep up sun for the majority of a game.
[Strategy Comments]
Other Options
====
Overheat and Scorching Sands shore up Ninetales's less-than-threatening offensive presence, though they come at the cost of consistent damage output and utility. Memento can be used over Healing Wish to give easier setup opportunities for teammates like Venusaur and Hisuian Lilligant, though this comes at the cost of the team's overall longevity. Tera Ghost can be ran over Grass to provide additional utility, giving it the properties of a spinblocker, as well as a Fighting-type immunity.
Checks & Counters
====
**Hippowdon & Other Opposing Weather Setters**: With Ninetales's main role being to set sun for its team, foes that have the ability to change the weather threaten it. Hippowdon is the most common of the weather setters in the tier with its Sand Stream ability, and it also threatens a super effective Earthquake as well as having the opportunity to set up Stealth Rock. Politoed's Drizzle and Alolan Ninetales's Snow Warning also change the sun Ninetales sets up into a different weather.
**Fire-types**: The likes of Volcanion, Armarouge, and Entei all have free entry on Ninetales, as they all take negligible damage from Flamethrower and Energy Ball; they are also immune to Will-O-Wisp and gain a boost to their STAB moves thanks to the sun.
**Dragon-types**: Cyclizar and Noivern are unthreatened by sun-boosted Flamethrower and can switch in to get free chip damage and momentum, only being pestered by Will-o-Wisp.
**Stealth Rock & Knock Off**: Stealth Rock's sizable chip damage can make Ninetales more vulnerable over the course of a game and hinder its role in setting up sun multiple times, decreasing sun's presence in the game. Similarly, having Ninetales be hit by a Knock Off will remove its Heat Rock, cutting down the turns that sun is active.
[Credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hoops.633048/
Quality Checked By:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/heatranator.647728/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rarelyme.513635/
Grammar Checked By:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited: