[OVERVIEW]
Hisuian Sneasel is a powerful and versatile threat in ZU, leveraging its excellent Speed tier and powerful STAB attacks to great effect. Not much in the metagame can withstand its potent Close Combat and Gunk Shot combination, and those that can, like Mesprit and Mismagius, are threatened by Throat Chop. With Switcheroo to disrupt foes that otherwise give it issues, like Iron Defense Regirock and Qwilfish, Hisuian Sneasel has the tools to position itself to wreak havoc. Swords Dance Hisuian Sneasel can utilize Trailblaze to become a devastatingly fast and powerful late-game cleaner. It does, however, have subpar bulk without Eviolite and can struggle at times to pick up KOs against premiere walls like Dipplin and Regirock if they use Terastallization. Hisuian Sneasel's weaknesses to common types like Flying, Ground, and Psychic mean it struggles to hit the field safely and use its offensive traits to great success against notable foes like Charizard, Sandslash, and offensive Mesprit.
[SET]
Choice Item (Hisuian Sneasel) @ Choice Band / Choice Scarf
Ability: Inner Focus
Tera Type: Fighting / Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Gunk Shot
- Throat Chop / Swords Dance
- Switcheroo
[SET COMMENTS]
Hisuian Sneasel is an exceptional wielder of Choice items, with its high Speed, coveted access to Switcheroo, and hard-hitting STAB attacks in Close Combat and Gunk Shot. Throat Chop provides Hisuian Sneasel a powerful attack to break past Ghost-types like Palossand and Mismagius, as well as threatening big damage against Psychic-types like Farigiraf and Mesprit, even blocking Psychic Noise; Swords Dance is an alternative that gives Hisuian Sneasel the capacity to function as a setup sweeper after it has shed its item. Switcheroo is a big reason Choice item sets function so well, as it can disrupt common switch-ins like Qwilfish and Sandslash immensely. Inner Focus prevents Hisuian Sneasel from being affected by Intimidate from the likes of Qwilfish and Hisuian Qwilfish. Choice Band grants Hisuian Sneasel the damage output needed to pick up 2HKOs on notable foes like Dipplin and Mesprit; Choice Scarf sets, on the other hand, trade power for Speed, turning Hisuian Sneasel into the fastest late-game cleaner and revenge killer, which is useful against usually speedier foes like Jolteon and Whimsicott. Tera Fighting boosts Close Combat tremendously, with Choice Band sets being capable of OHKOing Farigiraf and Lanturn, while also removing Hisuian Sneasel's weakness to Ground. Tera Dark grants Hisuian Sneasel a useful immunity to Psychic while making Throat Chop far more difficult to stomach for foes like Mesprit and Palossand. Tera Dark also blocks Prankster from affecting Hisuian Sneasel, turning foes like Sableye and the more niche Volbeat into setup fodder.
A natural fit on bulky offense and balance teams, Hisuian Sneasel is a great choice as a Choice Band wallbreaker or Choice Scarf cleaner. Given Choice Band Hisuian Sneasel's propensity to blow holes in teams and force switches every time it hits the field, teammates that can help wear down walls like Dipplin, Regirock, and Spiritomb with entry hazards are much appreciated; Orthworm and Sandslash are great Spikes setters, and Mesprit is a notable Stealth Rock setter and pivot option. Other pivot options that can help Hisuian Sneasel get safe entry points in favorable matchups include Lanturn, which can invite in opposing Porygon2, and Floatzel, which lures in Arboliva and Brute Bonnet. Choice Scarf Hisuian Sneasel appreciates other wallbreaker teammates that can enable it to pull off a late-game sweep, such as Choice Specs Magneton and Choice Band Floatzel. Teammates that can help keep Charizard and Mesprit in check, like Porygon2 and Snorlax, are valuable to provide defensive pivots for Hisuian Sneasel. Poison-type foes like Muk, Qwilfish, and Weezing can be difficult for Hisuian Sneasel to break through consistently, making Pyschic-type partners like Farigiraf and Mesprit especially valuable. Similarly, Spiritomb can sponge Hisuian Sneasel's hits comfortably and use it as setup fodder, which makes Whimsicott valuable to threaten it back. Choice Band Hisuian Sneasel pairs well with setup sweepers like Swords Dance Virizion, as it can break holes in teams for Virizion to clean late-game or vice versa.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hisuian Sneasel has access to Toxic Spikes, which can cause disruption without needing to swap items with Switcheroo. Toxic, similarly, can be used to reliably status checks Hisuian Sneasel can't normally get past, such as Spiritomb and Palossand. Taunt can be used to stop slower setup sweepers like Qwilfish and Mesprit or prevent recovery attempts from foes like Dipplin and Oricorio formes, though it is difficult to use given how frail Hisuian Sneasel is.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Psychic-types**: Mesprit is a notable Hisuian Sneasel check with the bulk to withstand its powerful attacks and the ability to threaten it with an OHKO back. Farigiraf is similarly difficult for it to deal with.
**Ghost-types**: Spiritomb and Palossand are both capable walls that can sponge Hisuian Sneasel's attacks and threaten it back with Scorching Sands and Psyshock, respectively. Mismagius and Tera Ghost users like Magneton can also use their brute power to threaten an OHKO against it.
**Faster Revenge Killers and Wallbreakers**: Despite its excellent Speed tier, non-Choice Scarf Hisuian Sneasel is slower than common Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Mesprit, which can threaten it immensely with Earthquake and Psychic Noise, respectively. Likewise, Choice Scarf Floatzel can OHKO Hisuian Sneasel with Wave Crash, and Choice Specs Jolteon is able to pick it off cleanly with Thunderbolt.
**Poison-types**: Qwilfish and Weezing can reliably sponge attacks from Hisuian Sneasel and threaten to disrupt it with status moves like Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, respectively. Muk is less reliable as a check but can nail it with Zen Headbutt after tanking an attack. Tera Poison Dipplin can stonewall Hisuian Sneasel with Sticky Hold to prevent disruption from Switcheroo and the ability to phaze it with Dragon Tail to stop setup attempts. Likewise, Tera Poison Regirock can use IronPress against Hisuian Sneasel to great effect, threatening to reverse sweep after just one boost.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rose.511181/
Hisuian Sneasel is a powerful and versatile threat in ZU, leveraging its excellent Speed tier and powerful STAB attacks to great effect. Not much in the metagame can withstand its potent Close Combat and Gunk Shot combination, and those that can, like Mesprit and Mismagius, are threatened by Throat Chop. With Switcheroo to disrupt foes that otherwise give it issues, like Iron Defense Regirock and Qwilfish, Hisuian Sneasel has the tools to position itself to wreak havoc. Swords Dance Hisuian Sneasel can utilize Trailblaze to become a devastatingly fast and powerful late-game cleaner. It does, however, have subpar bulk without Eviolite and can struggle at times to pick up KOs against premiere walls like Dipplin and Regirock if they use Terastallization. Hisuian Sneasel's weaknesses to common types like Flying, Ground, and Psychic mean it struggles to hit the field safely and use its offensive traits to great success against notable foes like Charizard, Sandslash, and offensive Mesprit.
[SET]
Choice Item (Hisuian Sneasel) @ Choice Band / Choice Scarf
Ability: Inner Focus
Tera Type: Fighting / Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Gunk Shot
- Throat Chop / Swords Dance
- Switcheroo
[SET COMMENTS]
Hisuian Sneasel is an exceptional wielder of Choice items, with its high Speed, coveted access to Switcheroo, and hard-hitting STAB attacks in Close Combat and Gunk Shot. Throat Chop provides Hisuian Sneasel a powerful attack to break past Ghost-types like Palossand and Mismagius, as well as threatening big damage against Psychic-types like Farigiraf and Mesprit, even blocking Psychic Noise; Swords Dance is an alternative that gives Hisuian Sneasel the capacity to function as a setup sweeper after it has shed its item. Switcheroo is a big reason Choice item sets function so well, as it can disrupt common switch-ins like Qwilfish and Sandslash immensely. Inner Focus prevents Hisuian Sneasel from being affected by Intimidate from the likes of Qwilfish and Hisuian Qwilfish. Choice Band grants Hisuian Sneasel the damage output needed to pick up 2HKOs on notable foes like Dipplin and Mesprit; Choice Scarf sets, on the other hand, trade power for Speed, turning Hisuian Sneasel into the fastest late-game cleaner and revenge killer, which is useful against usually speedier foes like Jolteon and Whimsicott. Tera Fighting boosts Close Combat tremendously, with Choice Band sets being capable of OHKOing Farigiraf and Lanturn, while also removing Hisuian Sneasel's weakness to Ground. Tera Dark grants Hisuian Sneasel a useful immunity to Psychic while making Throat Chop far more difficult to stomach for foes like Mesprit and Palossand. Tera Dark also blocks Prankster from affecting Hisuian Sneasel, turning foes like Sableye and the more niche Volbeat into setup fodder.
A natural fit on bulky offense and balance teams, Hisuian Sneasel is a great choice as a Choice Band wallbreaker or Choice Scarf cleaner. Given Choice Band Hisuian Sneasel's propensity to blow holes in teams and force switches every time it hits the field, teammates that can help wear down walls like Dipplin, Regirock, and Spiritomb with entry hazards are much appreciated; Orthworm and Sandslash are great Spikes setters, and Mesprit is a notable Stealth Rock setter and pivot option. Other pivot options that can help Hisuian Sneasel get safe entry points in favorable matchups include Lanturn, which can invite in opposing Porygon2, and Floatzel, which lures in Arboliva and Brute Bonnet. Choice Scarf Hisuian Sneasel appreciates other wallbreaker teammates that can enable it to pull off a late-game sweep, such as Choice Specs Magneton and Choice Band Floatzel. Teammates that can help keep Charizard and Mesprit in check, like Porygon2 and Snorlax, are valuable to provide defensive pivots for Hisuian Sneasel. Poison-type foes like Muk, Qwilfish, and Weezing can be difficult for Hisuian Sneasel to break through consistently, making Pyschic-type partners like Farigiraf and Mesprit especially valuable. Similarly, Spiritomb can sponge Hisuian Sneasel's hits comfortably and use it as setup fodder, which makes Whimsicott valuable to threaten it back. Choice Band Hisuian Sneasel pairs well with setup sweepers like Swords Dance Virizion, as it can break holes in teams for Virizion to clean late-game or vice versa.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hisuian Sneasel has access to Toxic Spikes, which can cause disruption without needing to swap items with Switcheroo. Toxic, similarly, can be used to reliably status checks Hisuian Sneasel can't normally get past, such as Spiritomb and Palossand. Taunt can be used to stop slower setup sweepers like Qwilfish and Mesprit or prevent recovery attempts from foes like Dipplin and Oricorio formes, though it is difficult to use given how frail Hisuian Sneasel is.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Psychic-types**: Mesprit is a notable Hisuian Sneasel check with the bulk to withstand its powerful attacks and the ability to threaten it with an OHKO back. Farigiraf is similarly difficult for it to deal with.
**Ghost-types**: Spiritomb and Palossand are both capable walls that can sponge Hisuian Sneasel's attacks and threaten it back with Scorching Sands and Psyshock, respectively. Mismagius and Tera Ghost users like Magneton can also use their brute power to threaten an OHKO against it.
**Faster Revenge Killers and Wallbreakers**: Despite its excellent Speed tier, non-Choice Scarf Hisuian Sneasel is slower than common Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Mesprit, which can threaten it immensely with Earthquake and Psychic Noise, respectively. Likewise, Choice Scarf Floatzel can OHKO Hisuian Sneasel with Wave Crash, and Choice Specs Jolteon is able to pick it off cleanly with Thunderbolt.
**Poison-types**: Qwilfish and Weezing can reliably sponge attacks from Hisuian Sneasel and threaten to disrupt it with status moves like Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, respectively. Muk is less reliable as a check but can nail it with Zen Headbutt after tanking an attack. Tera Poison Dipplin can stonewall Hisuian Sneasel with Sticky Hold to prevent disruption from Switcheroo and the ability to phaze it with Dragon Tail to stop setup attempts. Likewise, Tera Poison Regirock can use IronPress against Hisuian Sneasel to great effect, threatening to reverse sweep after just one boost.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rose.511181/
Last edited:
