[OVERVIEW]
Regice holds a niche as the only special wall in ADV OU that has both a specially offensive slant and a way to remove opposing special walls through Explosion. Its powerful Ice + Electric coverage together with the threat of Thunder Wave reliably forces out fast, frail special threats like Zapdos and draws in a whole host of bulky Pokemon like Blissey, Snorlax, Metagross, and Tyranitar. As a result, Regice does not only possess the role of breaking special walls, but it also serves as a key pivot to other offensive threats like Choice Band Metagross and Moltres. A downside, however, of the variety of Regice checks is that Explosion cannot reliably target the opposing team's special wall; Metagross and Tyranitar can switch in to absorb Explosion or even any other move at a small cost.
Despite Regice's strengths, Snorlax finds its way into offensive teams much more frequently for several reasons. First, Snorlax's Self-Destruct is extremely threatening, for even a failed attempt at taking out a special threat can result in a check like Tyranitar or Metagross being put into KO range of a sweeper like Zapdos, never allowing them to lay another hit. Second, Snorlax has solid neutral coverage for all of its checks, including Focus Punch for Tyranitar, while Regice has to deal with its checks by employing the support of teammates or giving up its walling abilities with Explosion. Regice's Explosion too is unfortunately weak and requires chip damage for the KO or momentum to be maintained for the damage to stick. Third, Snorlax's ability Immunity prevents Toxic from wearing it down when it already has limited longevity due to sand and Spikes. Regice, however, hits Skarmory really hard, and it is more effective at preventing Spikes from accumulating to an uncomfortable level. In spite of these challenges, Regice's ability of luring in and KOing Blissey and Curse Snorlax with Explosion may well be good enough of a reason to use it instead of Snorlax as a special check.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Thunder Wave / Hidden Power Fire
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 104 Atk / 152 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Ice Beam forces Zapdos out by threatening to OHKO it under sand. It also allows Regice to turn the tables on Celebi, which is usually used to gain momentum on special walls. Other auxiliary uses of Ice Beam are providing a weak Salamence and Flygon check, especially on offensive teams that don't have good answers to physical threats; hitting Tyranitar and Swampert hard; and forcing Claydol out. Notably, Ice Beam puts Tyranitar into the KO range of Dugtrio's Earthquake and Swampert's Hydro Pump. Deterring Swampert's repeated entry into Regice as a sacrificial check is helpful if an astute opponent deduces that Regice is supporting a specially offensive team that Swampert is ineffective against anyway. The Electric coverage move primarily hits Skarmory to deny too many layers of Spikes, places Suicune in range of Explosion with the possibility of a Dugtrio follow-up, and forces Starmie out. It also allows Regice to be a weak check to Gyarados on the frail, specially offensive teams it frequently ends up on. Thunderbolt is by far more consistent, and its accuracy may be vital when facing key threats like Gyarados and Starmie, but Thunder pressures Skarmory more with the certain 2HKO, assuming it hits. When using Hidden Power Fire, the paralysis rate of Thunder can also serve to compress Electric coverage and Thunder Wave into one move. Explosion severely damages special walls like Blissey that switch into Regice. Additionally, it limits the setup opportunities of Curse Snorlax, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, and Calm Mind Jirachi by getting a check like Swampert or Dugtrio in without taking any damage and denting them just enough for a follow-up KO. Explosion with 104 Attack EVs allows Dugtrio to follow up on most Curse Snorlax under sand with a guaranteed KO. Note that Explosion on teams without Dugtrio can be pretty dismal, so Hidden Power Fire can be used over Explosion to pressure offensive teams more readily, as long as one plans to exert offensive pressure on Blissey or Snorlax through some other means. Hidden Power Fire also reduces Metagross's ease of switching in and makes quick work of Magneton, which can potentially nullify Regice with Toxic + Protect. It also prevents Forretress from setting Spikes indefinitely. Thunder Wave reliably forces Jolteon and non-Substitute offensive variants of Jirachi out while paralyzing checks with average Speed like Tyranitar, Metagross, and defensive Jirachi. While paralyzing these bulky Pokemon may seem innocuous at first glance, the Speed drop gives one's own Metagross and Tyranitar the assurance of outspeeding the foe and maintains offensive momentum. Finally, Hidden Power Fire can also be an option over Thunder Wave for reasons above.
Team Options
========
Regice has two roles: a lure for special walls and pivot into special threats and out of bulky Pokemon. In its role as a lure, it appreciates Dugtrio finishing off the weakened wall after Explosion. Regice, however, can still function perfectly fine without Dugtrio if the team can maintain momentum on the walls. Note that without Dugtrio, these frail offensive teams that Regice tends to end up on need a way to prevent Dragon Dance Tyranitar from running amok. Regice paves the way for either fast special sweepers like Ludicolo and Starmie or Calm Mind sweepers like Suicune, Raikou, and Jirachi. In its role as an offensive pivot, Regice can easily switch or double switch to Choice Band Metagross upon the entrance of Blissey, Snorlax, or Tyranitar. It can also pivot to Moltres or Charizard in anticipation of Metagross. Calm Mind + Baton Pass Celebi is particularly synergistic with Regice; Celebi acts as a secondary special check against Zapdos, Starmie, and Suicune and can pass boosts to Regice to really press Blissey or Snorlax to come in. Giga Drain and Hidden Power Fire are also great for chunking Tyranitar and Metagross, and it helps that these Pokemon are frequently very willing to stay in on Celebi to hit it back with Hidden Power Bug or Meteor Mash.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Focus Punch and Superpower can spring some surprises on Tyranitar and can be used to chunk Blissey and Snorlax and eventually take them out with Explosion. Their power, however, is really dismal, as Focus Punch does not even score a guaranteed OHKO on bulkless Tyranitar. Psych Up is especially effective against Calm Mind users like Raikou, Baton Pass Celebi, and Suicune without Roar. However, using Psych Up against Roar Suicune can go terribly wrong if Regice is phazed just as it boosts, losing a vital turn and momentum. Defensive Regice variants with Rest can also be considered, though such a set is usually outclassed by Blissey and Celebi.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Metagross in particular is the best Regice check in a vacuum, taking almost no damage from all of its moves, not suffering too much from the Speed drop of Thunder Wave, and exerting the offensive pressure necessary to force Regice out. It, however, must be wary of pivots into Dugtrio or other powerful offensive Pokemon such Fire-types, Choice Band users, and Endeavor Swampert. Forretress can threaten to set Spikes indefinitely on Regice without Fire coverage. Calm Mind Jirachi does not appreciate Thunder Wave but can optionally block it with Substitute and set up on Regice. The dislike of paralysis also applies to defensive Jirachi, but it can otherwise switch in freely and pass Wishes to teammates indefinitely.
**Special Walls**: Blissey and Snorlax have the special bulk to take every special attack Regice can throw at them but must be careful not to let a well-timed Explosion take them out.
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar can easily force Regice out with the threat of Rock Slide or even Brick Break and Fire Blast on mixed or special variants. Unfortunately, it cannot take repeated Ice Beams. The threat of Tyranitar lies not only in the ability to directly deal damage but also the ability to set up with Dragon Dance under the status protection of Lum Berry.
**Fighting-types**: Hariyama's ability Thick Fat allows it to come in on Regice's Ice Beam without too much of a burden and hit it for super effective Fighting-type damage. While Machamp and Heracross do not switch in as easily, their ability Guts can be used to exploit Thunder Wave for extra damage.
**Fire-types**: With a little chip damage, Moltres, Charizard, and Houndoom can take out Regice with their Fire-type attacks. Navigating them in, however, is not an easy task, as Thunder Wave completely strips them of the speed that earns them their place in the metagame.
**Indirect Damage**: With a susceptibility to sand, lack of instant recovery, and lack of a method for removing status, Regice can easily be worn down with chip damage from Spikes, Toxic, and Leech Seed. For example, Toxic + Protect Skarmory or Zapdos can force Regice in and whittle it down slowly.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[vapicuno, 5454], [wyc2333, 336830]]
- Quality checked by: [[Triangles, 118250], [BKC, 52012]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Regice holds a niche as the only special wall in ADV OU that has both a specially offensive slant and a way to remove opposing special walls through Explosion. Its powerful Ice + Electric coverage together with the threat of Thunder Wave reliably forces out fast, frail special threats like Zapdos and draws in a whole host of bulky Pokemon like Blissey, Snorlax, Metagross, and Tyranitar. As a result, Regice does not only possess the role of breaking special walls, but it also serves as a key pivot to other offensive threats like Choice Band Metagross and Moltres. A downside, however, of the variety of Regice checks is that Explosion cannot reliably target the opposing team's special wall; Metagross and Tyranitar can switch in to absorb Explosion or even any other move at a small cost.
Despite Regice's strengths, Snorlax finds its way into offensive teams much more frequently for several reasons. First, Snorlax's Self-Destruct is extremely threatening, for even a failed attempt at taking out a special threat can result in a check like Tyranitar or Metagross being put into KO range of a sweeper like Zapdos, never allowing them to lay another hit. Second, Snorlax has solid neutral coverage for all of its checks, including Focus Punch for Tyranitar, while Regice has to deal with its checks by employing the support of teammates or giving up its walling abilities with Explosion. Regice's Explosion too is unfortunately weak and requires chip damage for the KO or momentum to be maintained for the damage to stick. Third, Snorlax's ability Immunity prevents Toxic from wearing it down when it already has limited longevity due to sand and Spikes. Regice, however, hits Skarmory really hard, and it is more effective at preventing Spikes from accumulating to an uncomfortable level. In spite of these challenges, Regice's ability of luring in and KOing Blissey and Curse Snorlax with Explosion may well be good enough of a reason to use it instead of Snorlax as a special check.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Thunder Wave / Hidden Power Fire
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 104 Atk / 152 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Ice Beam forces Zapdos out by threatening to OHKO it under sand. It also allows Regice to turn the tables on Celebi, which is usually used to gain momentum on special walls. Other auxiliary uses of Ice Beam are providing a weak Salamence and Flygon check, especially on offensive teams that don't have good answers to physical threats; hitting Tyranitar and Swampert hard; and forcing Claydol out. Notably, Ice Beam puts Tyranitar into the KO range of Dugtrio's Earthquake and Swampert's Hydro Pump. Deterring Swampert's repeated entry into Regice as a sacrificial check is helpful if an astute opponent deduces that Regice is supporting a specially offensive team that Swampert is ineffective against anyway. The Electric coverage move primarily hits Skarmory to deny too many layers of Spikes, places Suicune in range of Explosion with the possibility of a Dugtrio follow-up, and forces Starmie out. It also allows Regice to be a weak check to Gyarados on the frail, specially offensive teams it frequently ends up on. Thunderbolt is by far more consistent, and its accuracy may be vital when facing key threats like Gyarados and Starmie, but Thunder pressures Skarmory more with the certain 2HKO, assuming it hits. When using Hidden Power Fire, the paralysis rate of Thunder can also serve to compress Electric coverage and Thunder Wave into one move. Explosion severely damages special walls like Blissey that switch into Regice. Additionally, it limits the setup opportunities of Curse Snorlax, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, and Calm Mind Jirachi by getting a check like Swampert or Dugtrio in without taking any damage and denting them just enough for a follow-up KO. Explosion with 104 Attack EVs allows Dugtrio to follow up on most Curse Snorlax under sand with a guaranteed KO. Note that Explosion on teams without Dugtrio can be pretty dismal, so Hidden Power Fire can be used over Explosion to pressure offensive teams more readily, as long as one plans to exert offensive pressure on Blissey or Snorlax through some other means. Hidden Power Fire also reduces Metagross's ease of switching in and makes quick work of Magneton, which can potentially nullify Regice with Toxic + Protect. It also prevents Forretress from setting Spikes indefinitely. Thunder Wave reliably forces Jolteon and non-Substitute offensive variants of Jirachi out while paralyzing checks with average Speed like Tyranitar, Metagross, and defensive Jirachi. While paralyzing these bulky Pokemon may seem innocuous at first glance, the Speed drop gives one's own Metagross and Tyranitar the assurance of outspeeding the foe and maintains offensive momentum. Finally, Hidden Power Fire can also be an option over Thunder Wave for reasons above.
Team Options
========
Regice has two roles: a lure for special walls and pivot into special threats and out of bulky Pokemon. In its role as a lure, it appreciates Dugtrio finishing off the weakened wall after Explosion. Regice, however, can still function perfectly fine without Dugtrio if the team can maintain momentum on the walls. Note that without Dugtrio, these frail offensive teams that Regice tends to end up on need a way to prevent Dragon Dance Tyranitar from running amok. Regice paves the way for either fast special sweepers like Ludicolo and Starmie or Calm Mind sweepers like Suicune, Raikou, and Jirachi. In its role as an offensive pivot, Regice can easily switch or double switch to Choice Band Metagross upon the entrance of Blissey, Snorlax, or Tyranitar. It can also pivot to Moltres or Charizard in anticipation of Metagross. Calm Mind + Baton Pass Celebi is particularly synergistic with Regice; Celebi acts as a secondary special check against Zapdos, Starmie, and Suicune and can pass boosts to Regice to really press Blissey or Snorlax to come in. Giga Drain and Hidden Power Fire are also great for chunking Tyranitar and Metagross, and it helps that these Pokemon are frequently very willing to stay in on Celebi to hit it back with Hidden Power Bug or Meteor Mash.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Focus Punch and Superpower can spring some surprises on Tyranitar and can be used to chunk Blissey and Snorlax and eventually take them out with Explosion. Their power, however, is really dismal, as Focus Punch does not even score a guaranteed OHKO on bulkless Tyranitar. Psych Up is especially effective against Calm Mind users like Raikou, Baton Pass Celebi, and Suicune without Roar. However, using Psych Up against Roar Suicune can go terribly wrong if Regice is phazed just as it boosts, losing a vital turn and momentum. Defensive Regice variants with Rest can also be considered, though such a set is usually outclassed by Blissey and Celebi.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Metagross in particular is the best Regice check in a vacuum, taking almost no damage from all of its moves, not suffering too much from the Speed drop of Thunder Wave, and exerting the offensive pressure necessary to force Regice out. It, however, must be wary of pivots into Dugtrio or other powerful offensive Pokemon such Fire-types, Choice Band users, and Endeavor Swampert. Forretress can threaten to set Spikes indefinitely on Regice without Fire coverage. Calm Mind Jirachi does not appreciate Thunder Wave but can optionally block it with Substitute and set up on Regice. The dislike of paralysis also applies to defensive Jirachi, but it can otherwise switch in freely and pass Wishes to teammates indefinitely.
**Special Walls**: Blissey and Snorlax have the special bulk to take every special attack Regice can throw at them but must be careful not to let a well-timed Explosion take them out.
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar can easily force Regice out with the threat of Rock Slide or even Brick Break and Fire Blast on mixed or special variants. Unfortunately, it cannot take repeated Ice Beams. The threat of Tyranitar lies not only in the ability to directly deal damage but also the ability to set up with Dragon Dance under the status protection of Lum Berry.
**Fighting-types**: Hariyama's ability Thick Fat allows it to come in on Regice's Ice Beam without too much of a burden and hit it for super effective Fighting-type damage. While Machamp and Heracross do not switch in as easily, their ability Guts can be used to exploit Thunder Wave for extra damage.
**Fire-types**: With a little chip damage, Moltres, Charizard, and Houndoom can take out Regice with their Fire-type attacks. Navigating them in, however, is not an easy task, as Thunder Wave completely strips them of the speed that earns them their place in the metagame.
**Indirect Damage**: With a susceptibility to sand, lack of instant recovery, and lack of a method for removing status, Regice can easily be worn down with chip damage from Spikes, Toxic, and Leech Seed. For example, Toxic + Protect Skarmory or Zapdos can force Regice in and whittle it down slowly.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[vapicuno, 5454], [wyc2333, 336830]]
- Quality checked by: [[Triangles, 118250], [BKC, 52012]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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