I decided to create a hail team that would be able to counter many of the common threats to conventional hail teams in OU. Typical pokemon, such as infernape, blaziken, metagross, jirachi, heatran, tyranitar and machamp normally have the ability to stop most hail teams in their tracks. You may look at some of the pokemon below and think, how would they be useful on a hail team? So I listed their pro-hail properties below their descriptions.
Abomasnow (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Protect
Abomasnow is the staple on a hail team. The opponent usually will not expect me to be running such a speedy abomasnow, and so this will OHKO pokemon such as scizor who would usually be faster. Grass knot is most useful for taking out swampert but it provides useful STAB coverage. Protect scouts for any potentially damaging moves so I know which pokemon to switch to (this usually involves blocking flamethrower and then switching to heatran).
HOW IT USES HAIL – accuracy for blizzard, immunity to hail damage, protect for extra chip damage from hail
Walrein (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Ice Body
EVs: 220 HP/240 Def/50 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Protect
- Substitute
- Toxic
- Surf
Stallrein, nuff said (except that roar is not needed since clefable deals with stat-boosting types effectively)
HOW IT USES HAIL – ice body ability for extra health, accuracy for blizzard, immunity to hail damage, protect and substitute for extra chip damage from hail + damage from toxic
Heatran (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Hasty nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Explosion
- Earth Power
- Flamethrower
- Dragon Pulse
My main switch if I know that a fire/steel attack is coming. Explosion is for blissey (and anything else if I have already KO’d blissey, or they don't have it). Earth power is for other Heatran (who are the bane of many OU hail teams). Flamethrower is the obligatory STAB move, picked for its accuracy over fire blast. Dragon pulse and provides neutral damage on many other pokemon and can also be used against the dragons.
HOW IT USES HAIL – opponent might not expect Heatran because of hail… nothing else really :-)
Starmie @ Icy Rock
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 42 HP/216 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Hail
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
Starmie provides some much needed type diversity that many hail teams fail to have. It is also one of a select number of non-ice pokemon that can start up hail (aided by icy rock). Blizzard is to take advantage of the hail, whilst the other two attacks are traditional starmie favourites. I decided not to run recover as it was used little whilst I was originally testing starmie on this hail team, and thunderbolt can take out many common threats in OU.
HOW IT USES HAIL – accuracy for blizzard, can start longer lasting hail for other team members
(lv.2, 15hp) Clefable (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 in speed so it is able to outrun other lv2 clefable :-)
IVs: 0 in HP
Naughty nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Endeavor
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Encore
This thing has been known to decimate opposing teams. Usually guaranteed at least one kill, it has been known to get up to three. Having 15hp, you can expect hail to finish most pokemon off (whilst you suffer no damage from the hail and any other entry/stage hazards due to magic guard). The other moves do not get much use, although protect is useful to scout after focus sash has activated. This pokemon is especially useful on hail teams due as it can revenge kill many of the pokemon listed at the top (with the noticeable exception of tyranitar as it will negate hail and set up a sandstorm).
HOW IT USES HAIL – immunity to hail, chip damage from hail finishes most enemies off
Breloom (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 250 HP/252 Atk/8 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Spore
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge
Breloom can come in on a blissey using toxic and benefit. Bulk up patches breloom’s lower defence and boosts is mighty attack. Mach punch can finish off many pokemon who may think they are faster and have resisted hail after being hit by endeavor from clefable, as well as being a useful priority move in general. Stone edge hits gyarados as well as ensuring that breloom always has an attack that can hit neutral on most pokemon. Breloom counters annoying steel types, and is a non-ice pokemon that actually gains health in hail. This also provides useful type diversity in the team.
HOW IT USES HAIL – poison heal means that breloom will still gain health in hail
Some people forget that there are other pokemon apart from ice types that can benefit from hail and this is where this team really shines through. This is a team that likes hail but can also act like a typical OU team, therefore gaining an immediate advantage over most other teams. Another thing to note is that toxic spikes have no effect upon 3 of the members of this team, reducing the threat of that common entry hazard.
Any suggestions/comments welcome :-)
Abomasnow (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Protect
Abomasnow is the staple on a hail team. The opponent usually will not expect me to be running such a speedy abomasnow, and so this will OHKO pokemon such as scizor who would usually be faster. Grass knot is most useful for taking out swampert but it provides useful STAB coverage. Protect scouts for any potentially damaging moves so I know which pokemon to switch to (this usually involves blocking flamethrower and then switching to heatran).
HOW IT USES HAIL – accuracy for blizzard, immunity to hail damage, protect for extra chip damage from hail
Walrein (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Ice Body
EVs: 220 HP/240 Def/50 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Protect
- Substitute
- Toxic
- Surf
Stallrein, nuff said (except that roar is not needed since clefable deals with stat-boosting types effectively)
HOW IT USES HAIL – ice body ability for extra health, accuracy for blizzard, immunity to hail damage, protect and substitute for extra chip damage from hail + damage from toxic
Heatran (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Hasty nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Explosion
- Earth Power
- Flamethrower
- Dragon Pulse
My main switch if I know that a fire/steel attack is coming. Explosion is for blissey (and anything else if I have already KO’d blissey, or they don't have it). Earth power is for other Heatran (who are the bane of many OU hail teams). Flamethrower is the obligatory STAB move, picked for its accuracy over fire blast. Dragon pulse and provides neutral damage on many other pokemon and can also be used against the dragons.
HOW IT USES HAIL – opponent might not expect Heatran because of hail… nothing else really :-)
Starmie @ Icy Rock
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 42 HP/216 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Hail
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
Starmie provides some much needed type diversity that many hail teams fail to have. It is also one of a select number of non-ice pokemon that can start up hail (aided by icy rock). Blizzard is to take advantage of the hail, whilst the other two attacks are traditional starmie favourites. I decided not to run recover as it was used little whilst I was originally testing starmie on this hail team, and thunderbolt can take out many common threats in OU.
HOW IT USES HAIL – accuracy for blizzard, can start longer lasting hail for other team members
(lv.2, 15hp) Clefable (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 in speed so it is able to outrun other lv2 clefable :-)
IVs: 0 in HP
Naughty nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Endeavor
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Encore
This thing has been known to decimate opposing teams. Usually guaranteed at least one kill, it has been known to get up to three. Having 15hp, you can expect hail to finish most pokemon off (whilst you suffer no damage from the hail and any other entry/stage hazards due to magic guard). The other moves do not get much use, although protect is useful to scout after focus sash has activated. This pokemon is especially useful on hail teams due as it can revenge kill many of the pokemon listed at the top (with the noticeable exception of tyranitar as it will negate hail and set up a sandstorm).
HOW IT USES HAIL – immunity to hail, chip damage from hail finishes most enemies off
Breloom (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 250 HP/252 Atk/8 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Spore
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge
Breloom can come in on a blissey using toxic and benefit. Bulk up patches breloom’s lower defence and boosts is mighty attack. Mach punch can finish off many pokemon who may think they are faster and have resisted hail after being hit by endeavor from clefable, as well as being a useful priority move in general. Stone edge hits gyarados as well as ensuring that breloom always has an attack that can hit neutral on most pokemon. Breloom counters annoying steel types, and is a non-ice pokemon that actually gains health in hail. This also provides useful type diversity in the team.
HOW IT USES HAIL – poison heal means that breloom will still gain health in hail
Some people forget that there are other pokemon apart from ice types that can benefit from hail and this is where this team really shines through. This is a team that likes hail but can also act like a typical OU team, therefore gaining an immediate advantage over most other teams. Another thing to note is that toxic spikes have no effect upon 3 of the members of this team, reducing the threat of that common entry hazard.
Any suggestions/comments welcome :-)
