Project PU Next Best Thing: Alolan Ninetales (Cycle 5: Submissions)

[lettuce]

Physdef Utility Annoyance:
Ninetales-Alola @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Snow Warning
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Pain Split
- Encore
- Moonblast
- Aurora Veil

It’s like a rotom heat that can’t pivot, but instead gets encore and veil. The goal of the set is to mix its utility movepool with the physical defense boost in snow. Encore can be used to force setup mons to risk the encore or switch out, and that free turn Ninetales gets can be used to set veil for an ally. This set is also usable into slower utility mons that don’t want to waste a turn of encore or want to not click rocks again. Fairy is to provide offensive pressure to anything that thinks it can outspeed and KO you like a Pawmot and Tauros-fire. Sure, Ninetales may not switch into those mons, at all, but they’ll be in for a shock if they expect you to click veil as they (fail to) kill you.

I’m not crazy it legally qualifies as bulky enough

16+ Atk Rhydon Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Ninetales-Alola in Snow: 174-206 (49.8 - 59%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO (and you pain split/veil)
252 Atk Decidueye-Hisui Triple Arrows vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Ninetales-Alola in Snow: 76-91 (21.7 - 26%) -- 5.2% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Tauros-Paldea-Blaze Flare Blitz vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Ninetales-Alola in Snow: 302-356 (86.5 - 102%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb Tera Electric Pawmot Double Shock vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Ninetales-Alola in Snow: 182-216 (52.1 - 61.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Skuntank Gunk Shot vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Ninetales-Alola in Snow: 182-216 (52.1 - 61.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Sandslash-Alola Iron Head vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Ninetales-Alola in Snow: 204-240 (58.4 - 68.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

 

[Hera]

Ninetales-Alola @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Snow Warning
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Pain Split
- Freeze-Dry
- Encore

hey did you know this thing gets cm ps? i mean cm is pretty obvious given the archtype, but ps is a bit unexpected. idea is to be a lategame win-con that beats other cm users due to encore, while freeze-dry has very few drawbacks and a nice 10% freeze chance for endgames. spd is for rotom-heat. tera type may be weird but it's the only type that's neutral or better vs alolaslash and heattom without leaving you weak to water. you also don't have to tera, so your mu against flor is still sound.

 

[PorygonBG]

FINALLY :D!

I chose Eject Button

 

[SergioRules]

Ninetales-Alola @ Choice Specs

Ability: Snow Warning
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Blizzard
- Freeze-Dry
- Moonblast
- Tera Blast

A surprisingly simple nomination compared to my usual but considering that out of every recommended set for all tiers in Smogdex, only a handful deviate from the typical Boots/Light Clay/Icy Rock options, I think this is enough to warrant NBT (I thought of using something like an Encore+Disable/Spite set but without a trapping move, I don't think Ninetales can pull it off, though anyone else is welcome to try). Alolan Ninetales usually has one of two roles: as a support mon with Aurora Veil, or as a set up sweeper with Nasty Plot. This set aims to use Ninetales with a much more immediately offensive set, using Choice Specs to allow it to spam its powerful, fully accurate Blizzards without needing the setup turn of Nasty Plot sets. Freeze-Dry helps deal with Milotic or Tera Water Pokemon, and Moonblast acts as a nice secondary STAB move if you're short on Blizzards or the opponent has an Ice resist. Finally, Tera Blast Ground acts as the way to hit Steel- and Fire-types which otherwise resist your dual STAB. 9 times out of 10 you should be clicking Blizzard since PU is so lacking in Ice resists, the rest is just to shore that coverage up.