Doubles Abomasnow

GenOne

DOU main. GMT-7. PS!: GenOne
is a Community Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
[OVERVIEW]

Mega Abomasnow is a formidable wallbreaker when paired with a dedicated Trick Room team. It boasts an extremely low base Speed, which allows it to move before most foes when Trick Room is activated, and has otherwise solid base stats across the board. Grass / Ice typing gives it decent offensive coverage, allowing it to threaten out common Ice-weak threats like Landorus-T and Salamence while also having super effective coverage against bulky Water-types like Tapu Fini and Milotic. Additionally, Abomasnow is immune to Amoonguss's Spore and can easily force it out with Blizzard; this is important because Amoonguss is often used as a check to Trick Room teams and Mega Abomasnow's presence basically invalidates that. Abomasnow's ability, Snow Warning, can be useful for disrupting opposing weather while providing chip damage to pressure frail Focus Sash users like Deoxys-A and Shaymin-S. However, a Grass / Ice typing leaves Abomasnow with seven weaknesses, including a crippling weakness to Fire-type moves. As a result, Abomasnow needs Trick Room up, because otherwise it's quite likely that a foe will be able to take advantage of its low Speed and hit it with a super effective attack. Additionally, Abomasnow’s STAB coverage leaves it completely walled by Steel and Fire-types like Aegislash and Heatran.

[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Protect
item: Abomasite
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Blizzard is Mega Abomasnow's main STAB attack, which provides powerful spread coverage and is perfectly accurate in hail. Giga Drain is a secondary STAB attack that allows Mega Abomasnow to beat Water-types, such as Tapu Fini and Milotic, while also providing health recovery. In a pinch, Ice Shard lets Mega Abomasnow snipe down a weakened target, notably Salamence or Landorus-T, outside of Trick Room. Hidden Power Fire is another option to lure and do significant damage to Ferrothorn, as well as hit other Steel-types like Aegislash, Mega Metagross, and Mega Scizor for super effective damage. Protect allows Abomasnow to stall out a turn while its partner deals with anything threatening, and it is also useful for keeping Abomasnow safe while its teammate sets Trick Room.

Set Details
========

The given spread maximizes bulk and power behind Blizzard, with the remaining 4 EVs dumped into Attack to power up Ice Shard. A Quiet nature with 0 Speed IVs allows Mega Abomasnow to move as fast as possible inside of Trick Room. Snow Warning is the preferred pre-Mega ability, as it gives Abomasnow two chances to set hail against opposing weather teams before being forced to switch out.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Abomasnow is typically most effective as a mid-game sweeper, being sent in to attack after Trick Room has been set up. You should typically wait until you have a safe switch to bring in Abomasnow; in many cases, this means waiting until a teammate faints before you bring it in. Abomasnow is quite frail in comparison to Mega Abomasnow and shares its large number of weaknesses. In some situations, however, it makes sense to lead with Abomasnow to set hail early on. For example, if you expect your opponent to lead with a frail Focus Sash holder like Shaymin-S, leading with Abomasnow pressures these Pokemon to switch out or risk incurring chip damage from Hail. If they don't switch out, Abomasnow can also snipe them down on the following turn with Ice Shard. With an immunity to powder moves and access to strong Ice STAB, Abomasnow makes a particularly great answer to Amoonguss, a Pokemon that otherwise troubles Trick Room teams when Misty or Electric Terrain isn't activated.

Team Options
========

Trick Room setters like Hoopa-U, Bronzong, and Diancie are necessary to unlock Mega Abomasnow's full potential, since its low speed severely hinders it outside of Trick Room. Fire-types like Heatran, Volcanion, Victini, and Alolan Marowak have fantastic synergy with Abomasnow, clearing out the Steel-types that Abomasnow doesn't want to deal with. In return, Abomasnow helps deal with opposing Water-types like Tapu Fini and Milotic and Ground-types like Landorus-T and Zygarde. Tapu Fini or Tapu Lele are the preferred Island Guardians to pair with Mega Abomasnow; Tapu Bulu, while an option for powering up Grass-type attacks, shares common weaknesses with Abomasnow, while Tapu Koko's high Speed tier makes it awkward on most Trick Room teams that Mega Abomasnow would find itself on. Tapu Fini has particularly fantastic type synergy with Abomasnow, dealing with Fire-types like Heatran, which Abomasnow can't stand. Snorlax is an excellent late-game cleaner for Trick Room teams that appreciates Mega Abomasnow's ability to clear out Intimidate users like Mega Salamence and Landorus-T earlier on. With access to High Horsepower, Snorlax also helps deal with some of the Fire- and Steel-types that Abomasnow hates. Araquanid is a solid Water-type Trick Room attacker that can help clear out Fire- and Steel-types such as Heatran and Celesteela while also providing Wide Guard support to deter fast Rock Slide users like Landorus-T outside of Trick Room. Outside of Trick Room, fast Blizzard users like Porygon-Z, Genesect, and Kyurem-B are usable to take advantage of the hail set by Abomasnow.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Energy Ball is usable in place of Giga Drain for more power, if you're willing to give up the recovery provided by Giga Drain. However, Energy Ball doesn't hit any noteworthy offensive benchmarks aside from an OHKO on Terrakion. Wood Hammer is usable as a physical STAB option that deals more reliable damage to Water- and Rock-types with high Special Defense, such as Tapu Fini and Tyranitar. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 176 Atk / 80 SpA, combined with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs, guarantees that Mega Abomasnow will OHKO 252 HP / 72 Def Tapu Fini with Wood Hammer while still maximizing bulk and minimizing speed. Soundproof is a niche pre-Mega ability that makes Abomasnow a decent Mega Gardevoir switch-in and, far more riskily, a switch-in to Mega Salamence's Hyper Voice.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fire-types**: Mega Abomasnow has a crippling 4x weakness to Fire-type attacks and thus drops to all but the weakest of them. Many Fire-type Pokemon like Heatran, Volcarona, and Victini resist both of Mega Abomasnow's STAB attacks and threaten to OHKO it in return.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Mega Metagross, Aegislash, Celesteela, and Heatran completely wall Abomasnow and threaten to hit back with super effective attacks.

**Fighting-types**: Scrafty is a slow and bulky Fighting-type that doesn't mind taking a hit from Abomasnow inside of Trick Room and retaliating with either Drain Punch or Low Kick. Outside of Trick Room, Marshadow easily outspeeds Abomasnow and threatens a KO with Close Combat.

**Tyranitar**: Despite being a Rock-type, Tyranitar has enough bulk to comfortably absorb a Giga Drain and retaliate with strong Rock attacks. However, physical or mixed variants of Mega Abomasnow can OHKO Tyranitar first with Wood Hammer under Trick Room.

**Faster Pokemon**: Outside of Trick Room, Mega Abomasnow's rock-bottom Speed tier forces it to withstand attacks before it gets the chance to move. Its low speed and defensively poor Grass / Ice typing make it vulnerable to a myriad of faster attackers ranging from Mega Salamence and Mega Metagross to Marshadow and Terrakion.

**Opposing Weather**: When hail isn't active, Blizzard only has a 70% chance of hitting each target. Mega Charizard Y, Tyranitar, and Pelipper can all threaten Abomasnow with super effective STAB moves as well, although in the right situations Mega Abomasnow can KO Tyranitar and Pelipper first with strong Grass-type attacks.

**Wide Guard**: Wide Guard users like Aegislash and Celesteela can block Blizzard, leaving Mega Abomasnow vulnerable, while also threatening to KO Abomasnow with Steel-type attacks.
 
Last edited:

GenOne

DOU main. GMT-7. PS!: GenOne
is a Community Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Ready for QC 1/2.

I wanna talk a bit about which spread should be the main one. I was using full special Aboma before, but the more I read into what Wood Hammer can kill, the more I'm convinced that a mixed set is better. Does Blizzard really need 252 SpA to kill its intended targets?
 

Mizuhime

Did I mistake you for a sign from God?
is a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Rare I post within QC but here we are with my signature mon.
Nice job so far GenOne, as the resident Abomasnow expert I feel obligated to throw my 2 sense in.


Main set is missing a slash of Hidden Power Fire, i'd like to see it slashed with Ice Shard. Within Trick Room Ferrothorn doesn't do any real damage to Mega Abomasnow and is directly threatened by HP Fire.

I'm unsure how I feel about a psychical set in general, having to rely on Wood Hammer diminishes Abomasnow's survivability which is already low due to it's typing and lack of reliable recovery, and depending on the team having that special attacker / Hail is very important later in the game.

Within usage tips, I think it's worth mentioning that you should always wait until you have a safe switch to bring Abomasnow in. For example I always find Abomasnow to fit better on extremely offensive Trick Room teams, ones that focus on attacking straight away as opposed to setting up. These types of teams rely on their sheer power within Trick Room as opposed to setting up 4 curses first. Wait until something faints before you bring in Abomasnow, despite it's natural bulk in its mega, its base form is frail and still an ice-type.

Team Options I would say remove P2 from the outside of Trick Room thing, since P2 is primarily a Trick Room Pokemon. Maybe add something like Greninja/Darkrai who have powerful special attacking stats and good speed tiers but aren't going to have to rely on Blizzard to attack, the hail just benefits them.

You mention all of these fire-types that provide Abomasnow with a great combination, but not one of the best fire-types within Trick Room. Give Marowak some love, it has the best synergy with Abomasnow. Heatran falls into the same Wide Guard trap Abomasnow does, and Victini is oddly fast for Trick Room.

Would love to see Araquanid mentioned as a great teammate for Abomasnow, they provide a fantastic offensive core under Trick Room and cover each other pretty much perfectly. Araquanid can also use Wide Guard to support Abomasnow against the scary Rock Slide users if Trick Room isn't up.

Other Options:

Remove Shadow ball and Focus blast: Abomasnow's success comes from it's original set and you should be pairing Abomasnow with teammates that can deal with the Pokemon that threaten it. You build around Abomasnow you don't use Abomasnow to lure things. Shadowball hits only Aegislash (Blizzard hits everything else harder) and Focus Blast misses far too much and should never be used unless 100% needed.

Add Hidden Power Fire as something that beats Ferro / Sword Aegislash here if you don't want to slash it on the main set.

Check and Counters

Mention Fighting-types like Scrafty, although not super common Scrafty is one of the biggest counters to Hail Room, being able to Knock Off Lax, Drain Punch Abomasno, beat your setters, and pretty much beat your Fire-Type of choice with no problem (most people pick Heatran)

I don't think Landorus beats Abomasnow ever since Rock Slide does abysmal damage and that's even before an intimidate. Abomasnow can easily tank and KO back.

252 Atk Landorus-Therian Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Abomasnow-Mega: 128-152 (33.3 - 39.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Minor nit pick but please remove Araquanid as something that threatens with Wide Guard, Araq is generally better off going for it's bug-stab of choice and even then Giga does roughly 50% back, and if you keep the physical set araq never wants to wide guard in front of Abomasnow.
 

GenOne

DOU main. GMT-7. PS!: GenOne
is a Community Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Thanks for reviewing! For the most part I agreed with your edits. I'm not going to change anything until I get the go-ahead from my QC 1/2 reviewer, but I posted my thoughts below in blue.

Porygon Z =/= Porygon 2 though :)

Rare I post within QC but here we are with my signature mon.
Nice job so far GenOne, as the resident Abomasnow expert I feel obligated to throw my 2 sense in.


Main set is missing a slash of Hidden Power Fire, i'd like to see it slashed with Ice Shard. Within Trick Room Ferrothorn doesn't do any real damage to Mega Abomasnow and is directly threatened by HP Fire.

Will do, I like that.

I'm unsure how I feel about a psychical set in general, having to rely on Wood Hammer diminishes Abomasnow's survivability which is already low due to it's typing and lack of reliable recovery, and depending on the team having that special attacker / Hail is very important later in the game.

Could move the physical set to OO but I feel it has merits for being able to actually kill Fini and TTar, and you wouldn't really be using Grass STAB outside of that anyway. I want to hear what other people think before I make a hard decision on this one.

Within usage tips, I think it's worth mentioning that you should always wait until you have a safe switch to bring Abomasnow in. For example I always find Abomasnow to fit better on extremely offensive Trick Room teams, ones that focus on attacking straight away as opposed to setting up. These types of teams rely on their sheer power within Trick Room as opposed to setting up 4 curses first. Wait until something faints before you bring in Abomasnow, despite it's natural bulk in its mega, its base form is frail and still an ice-type.

I actually did say that: "Unless you can predict a resisted hit, you're usually better off to wait until an ally has been KO'd before you bring it in." I like the way you worded it better, but I was gonna wordsmith this after QC 1/2 anyway.

Team Options I would say remove P2 from the outside of Trick Room thing, since P2 is primarily a Trick Room Pokemon. Maybe add something like Greninja/Darkrai who have powerful special attacking stats and good speed tiers but aren't going to have to rely on Blizzard to attack, the hail just benefits them.

Porygon-Z, not Porygon 2 :)

Porygon-Z is sometimes used on hail teams with Blizzard as its second move. I thought about adding Geninja but its not on the VR right now, so that's why I didn't. I don't think I've really seen much of Darkrai in this meta?


You mention all of these fire-types that provide Abomasnow with a great combination, but not one of the best fire-types within Trick Room. Give Marowak some love, it has the best synergy with Abomasnow. Heatran falls into the same Wide Guard trap Abomasnow does, and Victini is oddly fast for Trick Room.

Will do! As an aside, I always run flamethrower as my second on Heatran to avoid the WG trap, but I know what you mean.

Would love to see Araquanid mentioned as a great teammate for Abomasnow, they provide a fantastic offensive core under Trick Room and cover each other pretty much perfectly. Araquanid can also use Wide Guard to support Abomasnow against the scary Rock Slide users if Trick Room isn't up.

Yup completely forgot about Araquanid, but its a fantastic partner. Adding!

Other Options:

Remove Shadow ball and Focus blast: Abomasnow's success comes from it's original set and you should be pairing Abomasnow with teammates that can deal with the Pokemon that threaten it. You build around Abomasnow you don't use Abomasnow to lure things. Shadowball hits only Aegislash (Blizzard hits everything else harder) and Focus Blast misses far too much and should never be used unless 100% needed.

I was just trying to add stuff here, but I tend to delve into too-obscure things when I write these sections. I think you're right though, so I'll remove these.

Add Hidden Power Fire as something that beats Ferro / Sword Aegislash here if you don't want to slash it on the main set.
Nah, I'm gonna slash this with Ice Shard.

Check and Counters

Mention Fighting-types like Scrafty, although not super common Scrafty is one of the biggest counters to Hail Room, being able to Knock Off Lax, Drain Punch Abomasno, beat your setters, and pretty much beat your Fire-Type of choice with no problem (most people pick Heatran)

True. Non-Fighting-types with Fighting coverage are also relevant in this category. I'll add those in.

I don't think Landorus beats Abomasnow ever since Rock Slide does abysmal damage and that's even before an intimidate. Abomasnow can easily tank and KO back.

252 Atk Landorus-Therian Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Abomasnow-Mega: 128-152 (33.3 - 39.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Yup, removing Lando.

Minor nit pick but please remove Araquanid as something that threatens with Wide Guard, Araq is generally better off going for it's bug-stab of choice and even then Giga does roughly 50% back, and if you keep the physical set araq never wants to wide guard in front of Abomasnow.

True. Removing!
 

Pocket

be the upgraded version of me
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Thoughts on Energy Ball > Giga Drain? 90 > 75 is a significant power difference. I personally always go for Energy Ball / Leaf Storm on my offensive Grass types.
 

GenOne

DOU main. GMT-7. PS!: GenOne
is a Community Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Thoughts on Energy Ball > Giga Drain? 90 > 75 is a significant power difference. I personally always go for Energy Ball / Leaf Storm on my offensive Grass types.
I mentioned it in OO. Imo you're spamming Blizzard most of the time anyway. If you really wanna kill bulky Water-types may as well go for Wood Hammer. Energy Ball's definately viable, but it seemed like a middling compromise between Giga Drain and Wood Hammer. Open to slashing it on main set if that's people's consensus tho.
 

Pocket

be the upgraded version of me
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
I wouldn't add a second slash on the main set. Just choose between Giga Drain or Energy Ball.

I also agree with mizuhime to stick with your Max SpA spread - As you just pointed out, Abomasnow will be spamming Blizzard most of the time anyway
 

GenOne

DOU main. GMT-7. PS!: GenOne
is a Community Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Q/C 1/2 implemented. Sorry for the delay - I've p much been chained to my desk at work the past month :/
 

talkingtree

large if factual
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SCL Champion
  • [Overview] Make sure to point out why it's important that Abomasnow is a great Amoonguss check, since Amoonguss is often used as a Trick Room answer and Abomasnow's presence basically invalidates that
  • [Overview] When you're talking about how many weaknesses Abomasnow has, add something about why this is so bad. Mainly, this means Abomasnow needs Trick Room up, because otherwise it's quite likely that a foe will be able to take advantage of its low Speed and hit it with a super effective attack
  • [Moves] Mega Aboma can't OHKO Ferrothorn with HP Fire, so just say that it does significant damage and add Mega Scizor in the section about hitting Steel-types
  • [Moves] Protect is also useful for keeping Abomasnow safe while its teammate sets Trick Room
  • [Set Details] "Maximum power behind Blizzard and bulk" or something like that
  • [Usage Tips] Instead of saying base Abomasnow is "still an Ice-type", say that it also shares Mega Abomasnow's large number of weaknesses or something similar
  • [Usage Tips] Ice Shard doesn't actually OHKO Deo-A unless Abomasnow is running a TON of attack (236+ Atk Abomasnow-Mega Ice Shard vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Deoxys-Attack: 223-264 (92.5 - 109.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO), so reword that bit
  • [Usage Tips] Abomasnow is a great answer to Amoonguss, but "counter" is a bit of a strong word when Sludge Bomb has a chance to 2HKO and Speed tie
  • [Other Options] The only relevant Energy Ball calc I can find is that it allows Abomasnow to always OHKO Terrakion - you could point out that the power boost doesn't hit too many notable benchmarks, aside from that
  • [Other Options] Soundproof has a niche for pre-Mega abilities in making Abomasnow a decent Mega Gardevoir switchin and, far more riskily, a switchin to Mega Salamence's Hyper Voice
Do for QC 2/2
 

talkingtree

large if factual
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SCL Champion
Giving you three stamps in a row because I can >:]

add remove comments
GP 1/2

[OVERVIEW]

Mega Abomasnow is a formidable wallbreaker when paired with a dedicated Trick Room team. It boasts an extremely low base Speed, (AC) stat which allows it to move before most foes when Trick Room is activated, and has otherwise solid base stats across the board. Grass / Ice typing gives it decent offensive coverage, allowing it to threaten out common Ice-weak threats like Landorus-T and Salamence while also having super effective coverage against bulky Water-types like Tapu Fini and Milotic. Additionally, Abomasnow is immune to Amoonguss’s Spore, (RC) and can easily force it out with Blizzard—this is important because Amoonguss is often used as a check to Trick Room answer teams and Mega Abomasnow's presence basically invalidates that. Abomasnow’s ability, Snow Warning, can be useful for disrupting opposing weather while providing chip damage to pressure frail Focus Sash users like Deoxys-A and Shaymin-S. However, Ice / A Grass / Ice typing leaves Abomosnow with seven weaknesses, including a crippling weakness to Fire-type moves. (dash -> period) this means As a result, Abomasnow needs Trick Room up, because otherwise it's quite likely that a foe will be able to take advantage of its low Speed and hit it with a super effective attack. Additionally, Abomasnow’s STAB coverage leaves it completely walled against by opposing Steel-types and Fire-types like Aegislash and Heatran.

[SET] (removed extra space)
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Protect
item: Abomasite
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
i
vs: 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS] (removed extra space)
Moves
========

Blizzard is Mega Abomasnow’s main STAB attack, which provides powerful spread coverage and is 100% perfectly accurate when in hail is activated. Giga Drain is a secondary STAB attack that allows Mega Abomasnow to beat Water-types, (AC) such as (Tapu Fini, (RC) and Milotic, etc.) while also providing health recovery. In a pinch, Ice Shard lets Mega Abomasnow snipe down a weakened target, (AC) (notably Salamence and Landorus-T, (parenthesis -> comma) outside of Trick Room. Hidden Power Fire is another option to lure and do significant damage to Ferrothorn, as well as hit other opposing Steel-types like Aegislash, Mega Metagross, (AC) and Mega Scizor for super effective (RH) damage. Protect allows Abomasnow to stall out a turn while its partner deals with anything that threatens it threatening, and is also useful for keeping Abomasnow safe while its teammate sets Trick Room.

Set Details
========

The given spread gives Abomasnow maximum maximizes (wanted to avoid the repetition of given/gives) bulk and power behind Blizzard, with the remaining 4 EVs dumped into Attack to power up Ice Shard. A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs allows Mega Abomasnow to move as fast as possible inside of Trick Room. Snow Warning is the preferred pre-mega ability, as it gives Abomasnow two chances to set weather hail against opposing weather teams before being forced to switch out.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Abomasnow is typically most effective as a mid-game sweeper, being sent in to attack after Trick Room has been set up for it. You should typiclaly typically wait until you have a safe switch to bring in Abomasnow in; (period -> semicolon) in many cases, this means waiting until something else a teammate faints before you bring it in. (dash -> period) despite Abomasnow’s natural bulk in its mega forme, its base forme Abomasnow is quite frail in comparison to Mega Abomasnow and shares Mega Abomasnow's its large number of weaknesses. In some situations, however, it makes sense to lead with Abomasnow to set hail up early on. Namely For example, (nitpicky, but "Namely" implies that you're stating the specifics of the previous sentence - this only states one such case) if you expect your opponent to lead with a frail Focus Sash holder like Shaymin-S, leading with Abomasnow pressures these mons Pokemon to switch out or risk incurring chip damage from Hail. If they don't switch out, Abomasnow can also snipe them down on the following turn with Ice Shard. With an immunity to powder moves and access to strong Ice STAB, Abamasnow makes a particularly great answer to Amoonguss, a Pokemon that otherwise troubles Trick Room teams when Misty or Electric Terrain aren't activated.

Team Options
========

Trick Room setters like Hoopa-U, Bronzong, (AC) and Diancie are necessary to unlock Mega Abomasnow's full potential, since its low speed severely hinders it outside of Trick Room. Fire-types like Heatran, Volcanion, Victini, (AC) and Alolan Marowak have fantastic synergy with Abomasnow, clearing out the Steel-types that Abomasnow doesn't want to deal with. In return, Abomasnow helps deal with opposing Water-types like (Tapu Fini, (RC) and Milotic, etc.) and Ground-types like (Landorus-T, (RC) and Zygarde, etc.) that trouble your team's Fire-types. Tapu Fini or Tapu Lele are the preferred island guardians to pair with Mega Abomasnow; Tapu Bulu, while an option for powering up Grass-type attacks, shares common weaknesses with Abomasnow, while Tapu Koko's high speed tier makes it awkward on most Trick Room teams that Mega Abomasnow would find itself on. Tapu Fini has particularly fantastic type synergy with Abomasnow, dealing with Fire-types like Heatran which Abomasnow can't stand. Snorlax is an excellent late-game wincon cleaner for Trick Room teams that appreciates Mega Abomasnow's ability to clear out Intimidate users like Mega Salamence and Landorus-T earlier on. With access to High Horsepower, Snorlax also helps deal with some of the Fire- and Steel-types that Abomasnow hates. Araquanid is a great solid Water-type Trick Room attacker that can help clear out the Fire-types and Steel-types that Abomasnow hates, such as Heatran and Celesteela, while also providing Wide Guard support to deter fast Rock Slide users like Landorus-T outside of Trick Room. Outside of Trick Room, fast Blizzard users like Porygon-Z, Genesect, (AC) and Kyurem-B are usable to take advantage of the hail set by Abomasnow. (AP)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS] (removed extra space)
Other Options
=============

Energy Ball is usable over in place of Giga Drain for more power, if you're willing to give up the recovery provided by Giga Drain. However, Energy Ball doesn't hit any worthwhile noteworthy offensive benchmarks aside from an OHKO on Terrakion. Wood Hammer is usable as a physical STAB option that deals more reliable damage to Water-types and Rock-types with high Special Defense, such as Tapu Fini and Tyranitar. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 176 Atk / 80 SpA, combined with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs, guarantees that Mega Abomasnow will OHKO a 252 HP / 72 Def Tapu Fini with Wood Hammer while still maximizing bulk and minimizing speed. Soundproof is a niche pre-Mega ability that makes Abomasnow a decent Mega Gardevoir switch-in and, far more riskily, a switch-in to Mega Salamence's Hyper Voice.

Checks and Counters
===================
(added extra space)
**Fire-types** Mega Abomasnow has a crippling x4 4x weakness to Fire-type attacks and thus drops to all but the weakest of them. Many Fire-type Pokemon like Heatran, Volcarona, and Victini resist both of Mega Abomasnow's STAB attacks and threaten to OHKO it in return.

**Steel-types** Steel-types like Mega Metagross, Aegislash, Celesteela, and Heatran completely wall Abomasnow and threaten to hit back with super-effective attacks.

**Fighting-types** Scrafty is a slow and bulky Fighting-type that doesn’t mind taking a hit from Abomasnow inside of Trick Room and retaliating with either Drain Punch or Low Kick. Outside of Trick Room, Marshadow easily outspeeds Abomasnow and threatens a KO with Close Combat.

**Tyranitar** Despite being a Rock-type, Tyranitar has enough bulk to comfortably absorb a Giga Drain and retaliate with strong Rock attacks. However, physical or mixed variants of Mega Abomasnow can OHKO Tyranitar first with Wood Hammer under Trick Room.

**Faster Pokemon** Outside of Trick Room, Mega Abomasnow's rock-bottom Speed tier forces it to absorb withstand attacks before it gets the chance to move. Its low speed, combined with and defensively poor Grass / Ice typing, (RC) makes it vulnerable to a myriad of faster attackers ranging from Mega Salamence and Mega Metagross to Marshadow and Terrakion.

**Opposing Weather** When hail isn't active, Blizzard's accuracy only has a 70% chance of hitting each target. Mega Charizard Y, Tyranitar, (AC) and Pelipper can all threaten Abomasnow with super effective (RH) STAB moves as well, although in the right situations Mega Abomasnow can KO Tyranitar and Pelipper first with strong Grass-type attacks.

**Wide Guard** Wide Guard users like Aegislash and Celesteela can block Blizzard, leaving Mega Abomasnow vulnerable, while also threatening to KO Abomasnow with Steel-type attacks.
 

talkingtree

large if factual
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SCL Champion
Both do indeed check Mega Abomasnow, but Checks and Counters doesn't need to list absolutely every Pokemon that could fit. Having categories containing Fire-types and Steel-types should be enough to convey that, especially since neither are the strongest of checks (Volcanion doesn't resist Giga Drain like other Fire-types, Genesect drops to a potential HP Fire in Trick Room).
 

GenOne

DOU main. GMT-7. PS!: GenOne
is a Community Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Implemented, below and in the OP

[OVERVIEW]

Mega Abomasnow is a formidable wallbreaker when paired with a dedicated Trick Room team. It boasts an extremely low base Speed, which allows it to move before most foes when Trick Room is activated, and has otherwise solid base stats across the board. Grass / Ice typing gives it decent offensive coverage, allowing it to threaten out common Ice-weak threats like Landorus-T and Salamence while also having super effective coverage against bulky Water-types like Tapu Fini and Milotic. Additionally, Abomasnow is immune to Amoonguss’s Spore and can easily force it out with Blizzard; this is important because Amoonguss is often used as a check to Trick Room teams and Mega Abomasnow's presence basically invalidates that. Abomasnow’s ability, Snow Warning, can be useful for disrupting opposing weather while providing chip damage to pressure frail Focus Sash users like Deoxys-A and Shaymin-S. A Grass / Ice typing leaves Abomosnow with seven weaknesses, including a crippling weakness to Fire-type moves. As a result, Abomasnow needs Trick Room up, because otherwise it's quite likely that a foe will be able to take advantage of its low Speed and hit it with a super effective attack. Additionally, Abomasnow’s STAB coverage leaves it completely walled by Steel and Fire-types like Aegislash and Heatran.

[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Protect
item: Abomasite
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Blizzard is Mega Abomasnow’s main STAB attack, which provides powerful spread coverage and is perfectly accurate in hail. Giga Drain is a secondary STAB attack that allows Mega Abomasnow to beat Water-types, such as Tapu Fini and Milotic while also providing health recovery. In a pinch, Ice Shard lets Mega Abomasnow snipe down a weakened target, notably Salamence and Landorus-T, outside of Trick Room. Hidden Power Fire is another option to lure and do significant damage to Ferrothorn, as well as hit other Steel-types like Aegislash, Mega Metagross, and Mega Scizor for super effective damage. Protect allows Abomasnow to stall out a turn while its partner deals with anything threatening, and is also useful for keeping Abomasnow safe while its teammate sets Trick Room.

Set Details
========

The given spread maximizes bulk and power behind Blizzard, with the remaining 4 EVs dumped into Attack to power up Ice Shard. A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs allows Mega Abomasnow to move as fast as possible inside of Trick Room. Snow Warning is the preferred pre-mega ability, as it gives Abomasnow two chances to set hail against opposing weather teams before being forced to switch out.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Abomasnow is typically most effective as a mid-game sweeper, being sent in to attack after Trick Room has been set up. You should typically wait until you have a safe switch to bring in Abomasnow; in many cases, this means waiting until a teammate faints before you bring it in. Abomasnow is quite frail in comparison to Mega Abomasnow and shares its large number of weaknesses. In some situations, however, it makes sense to lead with Abomasnow to set hail early on. For example, if you expect your opponent to lead with a frail Focus Sash holder like Shaymin-S, leading with Abomasnow pressures these Pokemon to switch out or risk incurring chip damage from Hail. If they don't switch out, Abomasnow can also snipe them down on the following turn with Ice Shard. With an immunity to powder moves and access to strong Ice STAB, Abamasnow makes a particularly great answer to Amoonguss, a Pokemon that otherwise troubles Trick Room teams when Misty or Electric Terrain aren't activated.

Team Options
========

Trick Room setters like Hoopa-U, Bronzong, and Diancie are necessary to unlock Mega Abomasnow's full potential, since its low speed severely hinders it outside of Trick Room. Fire-types like Heatran, Volcanion, Victini, and Alolan Marowak have fantastic synergy with Abomasnow, clearing out the Steel-types that Abomasnow doesn't want to deal with. In return, Abomasnow helps deal with opposing Water-types like Tapu Fini and Milotic and Ground-types like Landorus-T and Zygarde. Tapu Fini or Tapu Lele are the preferred island guardians to pair with Mega Abomasnow; Tapu Bulu, while an option for powering up Grass-type attacks, shares common weaknesses with Abomasnow, while Tapu Koko's high speed tier makes it awkward on most Trick Room teams that Mega Abomasnow would find itself on. Tapu Fini has particularly fantastic type synergy with Abomasnow, dealing with Fire-types like Heatran which Abomasnow can't stand. Snorlax is an excellent late-game cleaner for Trick Room teams that appreciates Mega Abomasnow's ability to clear out Intimidate users like Mega Salamence and Landorus-T earlier on. With access to High Horsepower, Snorlax also helps deal with some of the Fire- and Steel-types that Abomasnow hates. Araquanid is a solid Water-type Trick Room attacker that can help clear out Fire- and Steel-types such as Heatran and Celesteela, while also providing Wide Guard support to deter fast Rock Slide users like Landorus-T outside of Trick Room. Outside of Trick Room, fast Blizzard users like Porygon-Z, Genesect, and Kyurem-B are usable to take advantage of the hail set by Abomasnow.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Energy Ball is usable in place of Giga Drain for more power, if you're willing to give up the recovery provided by Giga Drain. However, Energy Ball doesn't hit any noteworthy offensive benchmarks aside from an OHKO on Terrakion. Wood Hammer is usable as a physical STAB option that deals more reliable damage to Water- and Rock-types with high Special Defense, such as Tapu Fini and Tyranitar. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 176 Atk / 80 SpA, combined with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs, guarantees that Mega Abomasnow will OHKO 252 HP / 72 Def Tapu Fini with Wood Hammer while still maximizing bulk and minimizing speed. Soundproof is a niche pre-Mega ability that makes Abomasnow a decent Mega Gardevoir switch-in and, far more riskily, a switch-in to Mega Salamence's Hyper Voice.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fire-types** Mega Abomasnow has a crippling 4x weakness to Fire-type attacks and thus drops to all but the weakest of them. Many Fire-type Pokemon like Heatran, Volcarona, and Victini resist both of Mega Abomasnow's STAB attacks and threaten to OHKO it in return.

**Steel-types** Steel-types like Mega Metagross, Aegislash, Celesteela, and Heatran completely wall Abomasnow and threaten to hit back with super-effective attacks.

**Fighting-types** Scrafty is a slow and bulky Fighting-type that doesn’t mind taking a hit from Abomasnow inside of Trick Room and retaliating with either Drain Punch or Low Kick. Outside of Trick Room, Marshadow easily outspeeds Abomasnow and threatens a KO with Close Combat.

**Tyranitar** Despite being a Rock-type, Tyranitar has enough bulk to comfortably absorb a Giga Drain and retaliate with strong Rock attacks. However, physical or mixed variants of Mega Abomasnow can OHKO Tyranitar first with Wood Hammer under Trick Room.

**Faster Pokemon** Outside of Trick Room, Mega Abomasnow's rock-bottom Speed tier forces it to withstand attacks before it gets the chance to move. Its low speed and defensively poor Grass / Ice typing make it vulnerable to a myriad of faster attackers ranging from Mega Salamence and Mega Metagross to Marshadow and Terrakion.

**Opposing Weather** When hail isn't active, Blizzard only has a 70% chance of hitting each target. Mega Charizard Y, Tyranitar, and Pelipper can all threaten Abomasnow with super effective STAB moves as well, although in the right situations Mega Abomasnow can KO Tyranitar and Pelipper first with strong Grass-type attacks.

**Wide Guard** Wide Guard users like Aegislash and Celesteela can block Blizzard, leaving Mega Abomasnow vulnerable, while also threatening to KO Abomasnow with Steel-type attacks.
 

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
non-tree stamp incoming



remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

Mega Abomasnow is a formidable wallbreaker when paired with a dedicated Trick Room team. It boasts an extremely low base Speed, which allows it to move before most foes when Trick Room is activated, and has otherwise solid base stats across the board. Grass / Ice typing gives it decent offensive coverage, allowing it to threaten out common Ice-weak threats like Landorus-T and Salamence while also having super effective coverage against bulky Water-types like Tapu Fini and Milotic. Additionally, Abomasnow is immune to Amoonguss’s Amoonguss's (slanted apostrophe) Spore and can easily force it out with Blizzard; this is important because Amoonguss is often used as a check to Trick Room teams and Mega Abomasnow's presence basically invalidates that. Abomasnow’s Abomasnow's ability, Snow Warning, can be useful for disrupting opposing weather while providing chip damage to pressure frail Focus Sash users like Deoxys-A and Shaymin-S. However, a Grass / Ice typing leaves Abomosnow Abomasnow with seven weaknesses, including a crippling weakness to Fire-type moves. As a result, Abomasnow needs Trick Room up, because otherwise it's quite likely that a foe will be able to take advantage of its low Speed and hit it with a super effective attack. Additionally, Abomasnow’s STAB coverage leaves it completely walled by Steel and Fire-types like Aegislash and Heatran.

[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Protect
item: Abomasite
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Blizzard is Mega Abomasnow’s Abomasnow's main STAB attack, which provides powerful spread coverage and is perfectly accurate in hail. Giga Drain is a secondary STAB attack that allows Mega Abomasnow to beat Water-types, such as Tapu Fini and Milotic, (AC) while also providing health recovery. In a pinch, Ice Shard lets Mega Abomasnow snipe down a weakened target, notably Salamence and or Landorus-T, outside of Trick Room. Hidden Power Fire is another option to lure and do significant damage to Ferrothorn, as well as hit other Steel-types like Aegislash, Mega Metagross, and Mega Scizor for super effective damage. Protect allows Abomasnow to stall out a turn while its partner deals with anything threatening, and it is also useful for keeping Abomasnow safe while its teammate sets Trick Room.

Set Details
========

The given spread maximizes bulk and power behind Blizzard, with the remaining 4 EVs dumped into Attack to power up Ice Shard. A Quiet nature and with 0 Speed IVs allows Mega Abomasnow to move as fast as possible inside of Trick Room. Snow Warning is the preferred pre-Mega ability, as it gives Abomasnow two chances to set hail against opposing weather teams before being forced to switch out.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Abomasnow is typically most effective as a mid-game sweeper, being sent in to attack after Trick Room has been set up. You should typically wait until you have a safe switch to bring in Abomasnow; in many cases, this means waiting until a teammate faints before you bring it in. Abomasnow is quite frail in comparison to Mega Abomasnow and shares its large number of weaknesses. In some situations, however, it makes sense to lead with Abomasnow to set hail early on. For example, if you expect your opponent to lead with a frail Focus Sash holder like Shaymin-S, leading with Abomasnow pressures these Pokemon to switch out or risk incurring chip damage from Hail. If they don't switch out, Abomasnow can also snipe them down on the following turn with Ice Shard. With an immunity to powder moves and access to strong Ice STAB, Abamasnow Abomasnow makes a particularly great answer to Amoonguss, a Pokemon that otherwise troubles Trick Room teams when Misty or Electric Terrain aren't isn't activated.

Team Options
========

Trick Room setters like Hoopa-U, Bronzong, and Diancie are necessary to unlock Mega Abomasnow's full potential, since its low speed severely hinders it outside of Trick Room. Fire-types like Heatran, Volcanion, Victini, and Alolan Marowak have fantastic synergy with Abomasnow, clearing out the Steel-types that Abomasnow doesn't want to deal with. In return, Abomasnow helps deal with opposing Water-types like Tapu Fini and Milotic and Ground-types like Landorus-T and Zygarde. Tapu Fini or Tapu Lele are the preferred island guardians Island Guardians to pair with Mega Abomasnow; Tapu Bulu, while an option for powering up Grass-type attacks, shares common weaknesses with Abomasnow, while Tapu Koko's high speed Speed tier makes it awkward on most Trick Room teams that Mega Abomasnow would find itself on. Tapu Fini has particularly fantastic type synergy with Abomasnow, dealing with Fire-types like Heatran, (AC) which Abomasnow can't stand. Snorlax is an excellent late-game cleaner for Trick Room teams that appreciates Mega Abomasnow's ability to clear out Intimidate users like Mega Salamence and Landorus-T earlier on. With access to High Horsepower, Snorlax also helps deal with some of the Fire- and Steel-types that Abomasnow hates. Araquanid is a solid Water-type Trick Room attacker that can help clear out Fire- and Steel-types such as Heatran and Celesteela (RC) while also providing Wide Guard support to deter fast Rock Slide users like Landorus-T outside of Trick Room. Outside of Trick Room, fast Blizzard users like Porygon-Z, Genesect, and Kyurem-B are usable to take advantage of the hail set by Abomasnow.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Energy Ball is usable in place of Giga Drain for more power, if you're willing to give up the recovery provided by Giga Drain. However, Energy Ball doesn't hit any noteworthy offensive benchmarks aside from an OHKO on Terrakion. Wood Hammer is usable as a physical STAB option that deals more reliable damage to Water- and Rock-types with high Special Defense, such as Tapu Fini and Tyranitar. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 176 Atk / 80 SpA, combined with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs, guarantees that Mega Abomasnow will OHKO 252 HP / 72 Def Tapu Fini with Wood Hammer while still maximizing bulk and minimizing speed. Soundproof is a niche pre-Mega ability that makes Abomasnow a decent Mega Gardevoir switch-in and, far more riskily, a switch-in to Mega Salamence's Hyper Voice.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fire-types**: (add colons throughout) Mega Abomasnow has a crippling 4x weakness to Fire-type attacks and thus drops to all but the weakest of them. Many Fire-type Pokemon like Heatran, Volcarona, and Victini resist both of Mega Abomasnow's STAB attacks and threaten to OHKO it in return.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Mega Metagross, Aegislash, Celesteela, and Heatran completely wall Abomasnow and threaten to hit back with super effective (RH) attacks.

**Fighting-types**: Scrafty is a slow and bulky Fighting-type that doesn’t doesn't mind taking a hit from Abomasnow inside of Trick Room and retaliating with either Drain Punch or Low Kick. Outside of Trick Room, Marshadow easily outspeeds Abomasnow and threatens a KO with Close Combat.

**Tyranitar**: Despite being a Rock-type, Tyranitar has enough bulk to comfortably absorb a Giga Drain and retaliate with strong Rock attacks. However, physical or mixed variants of Mega Abomasnow can OHKO Tyranitar first with Wood Hammer under Trick Room.

**Faster Pokemon**: Outside of Trick Room, Mega Abomasnow's rock-bottom Speed tier forces it to withstand attacks before it gets the chance to move. Its low speed and defensively poor Grass / Ice typing make it vulnerable to a myriad of faster attackers ranging from Mega Salamence and Mega Metagross to Marshadow and Terrakion.

**Opposing Weather**: When hail isn't active, Blizzard only has a 70% chance of hitting each target. Mega Charizard Y, Tyranitar, and Pelipper can all threaten Abomasnow with super effective STAB moves as well, although in the right situations Mega Abomasnow can KO Tyranitar and Pelipper first with strong Grass-type attacks.

**Wide Guard**: Wide Guard users like Aegislash and Celesteela can block Blizzard, leaving Mega Abomasnow vulnerable, while also threatening to KO Abomasnow with Steel-type attacks.
 
Last edited:

GenOne

DOU main. GMT-7. PS!: GenOne
is a Community Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Updated, below and in the OP. This is good to publish now.

[OVERVIEW]

Mega Abomasnow is a formidable wallbreaker when paired with a dedicated Trick Room team. It boasts an extremely low base Speed, which allows it to move before most foes when Trick Room is activated, and has otherwise solid base stats across the board. Grass / Ice typing gives it decent offensive coverage, allowing it to threaten out common Ice-weak threats like Landorus-T and Salamence while also having super effective coverage against bulky Water-types like Tapu Fini and Milotic. Additionally, Abomasnow is immune to Amoonguss's Spore and can easily force it out with Blizzard; this is important because Amoonguss is often used as a check to Trick Room teams and Mega Abomasnow's presence basically invalidates that. Abomasnow's ability, Snow Warning, can be useful for disrupting opposing weather while providing chip damage to pressure frail Focus Sash users like Deoxys-A and Shaymin-S. However, a Grass / Ice typing leaves Abomasnow with seven weaknesses, including a crippling weakness to Fire-type moves. As a result, Abomasnow needs Trick Room up, because otherwise it's quite likely that a foe will be able to take advantage of its low Speed and hit it with a super effective attack. Additionally, Abomasnow’s STAB coverage leaves it completely walled by Steel and Fire-types like Aegislash and Heatran.

[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Protect
item: Abomasite
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Blizzard is Mega Abomasnow's main STAB attack, which provides powerful spread coverage and is perfectly accurate in hail. Giga Drain is a secondary STAB attack that allows Mega Abomasnow to beat Water-types, such as Tapu Fini and Milotic, while also providing health recovery. In a pinch, Ice Shard lets Mega Abomasnow snipe down a weakened target, notably Salamence or Landorus-T, outside of Trick Room. Hidden Power Fire is another option to lure and do significant damage to Ferrothorn, as well as hit other Steel-types like Aegislash, Mega Metagross, and Mega Scizor for super effective damage. Protect allows Abomasnow to stall out a turn while its partner deals with anything threatening, and it is also useful for keeping Abomasnow safe while its teammate sets Trick Room.

Set Details
========

The given spread maximizes bulk and power behind Blizzard, with the remaining 4 EVs dumped into Attack to power up Ice Shard. A Quiet nature with 0 Speed IVs allows Mega Abomasnow to move as fast as possible inside of Trick Room. Snow Warning is the preferred pre-Mega ability, as it gives Abomasnow two chances to set hail against opposing weather teams before being forced to switch out.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Abomasnow is typically most effective as a mid-game sweeper, being sent in to attack after Trick Room has been set up. You should typically wait until you have a safe switch to bring in Abomasnow; in many cases, this means waiting until a teammate faints before you bring it in. Abomasnow is quite frail in comparison to Mega Abomasnow and shares its large number of weaknesses. In some situations, however, it makes sense to lead with Abomasnow to set hail early on. For example, if you expect your opponent to lead with a frail Focus Sash holder like Shaymin-S, leading with Abomasnow pressures these Pokemon to switch out or risk incurring chip damage from Hail. If they don't switch out, Abomasnow can also snipe them down on the following turn with Ice Shard. With an immunity to powder moves and access to strong Ice STAB, Abomasnow makes a particularly great answer to Amoonguss, a Pokemon that otherwise troubles Trick Room teams when Misty or Electric Terrain isn't activated.

Team Options
========

Trick Room setters like Hoopa-U, Bronzong, and Diancie are necessary to unlock Mega Abomasnow's full potential, since its low speed severely hinders it outside of Trick Room. Fire-types like Heatran, Volcanion, Victini, and Alolan Marowak have fantastic synergy with Abomasnow, clearing out the Steel-types that Abomasnow doesn't want to deal with. In return, Abomasnow helps deal with opposing Water-types like Tapu Fini and Milotic and Ground-types like Landorus-T and Zygarde. Tapu Fini or Tapu Lele are the preferred Island Guardians to pair with Mega Abomasnow; Tapu Bulu, while an option for powering up Grass-type attacks, shares common weaknesses with Abomasnow, while Tapu Koko's high Speed tier makes it awkward on most Trick Room teams that Mega Abomasnow would find itself on. Tapu Fini has particularly fantastic type synergy with Abomasnow, dealing with Fire-types like Heatran, which Abomasnow can't stand. Snorlax is an excellent late-game cleaner for Trick Room teams that appreciates Mega Abomasnow's ability to clear out Intimidate users like Mega Salamence and Landorus-T earlier on. With access to High Horsepower, Snorlax also helps deal with some of the Fire- and Steel-types that Abomasnow hates. Araquanid is a solid Water-type Trick Room attacker that can help clear out Fire- and Steel-types such as Heatran and Celesteela while also providing Wide Guard support to deter fast Rock Slide users like Landorus-T outside of Trick Room. Outside of Trick Room, fast Blizzard users like Porygon-Z, Genesect, and Kyurem-B are usable to take advantage of the hail set by Abomasnow.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Energy Ball is usable in place of Giga Drain for more power, if you're willing to give up the recovery provided by Giga Drain. However, Energy Ball doesn't hit any noteworthy offensive benchmarks aside from an OHKO on Terrakion. Wood Hammer is usable as a physical STAB option that deals more reliable damage to Water- and Rock-types with high Special Defense, such as Tapu Fini and Tyranitar. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 176 Atk / 80 SpA, combined with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs, guarantees that Mega Abomasnow will OHKO 252 HP / 72 Def Tapu Fini with Wood Hammer while still maximizing bulk and minimizing speed. Soundproof is a niche pre-Mega ability that makes Abomasnow a decent Mega Gardevoir switch-in and, far more riskily, a switch-in to Mega Salamence's Hyper Voice.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fire-types**: Mega Abomasnow has a crippling 4x weakness to Fire-type attacks and thus drops to all but the weakest of them. Many Fire-type Pokemon like Heatran, Volcarona, and Victini resist both of Mega Abomasnow's STAB attacks and threaten to OHKO it in return.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Mega Metagross, Aegislash, Celesteela, and Heatran completely wall Abomasnow and threaten to hit back with super effective attacks.

**Fighting-types**: Scrafty is a slow and bulky Fighting-type that doesn't mind taking a hit from Abomasnow inside of Trick Room and retaliating with either Drain Punch or Low Kick. Outside of Trick Room, Marshadow easily outspeeds Abomasnow and threatens a KO with Close Combat.

**Tyranitar**: Despite being a Rock-type, Tyranitar has enough bulk to comfortably absorb a Giga Drain and retaliate with strong Rock attacks. However, physical or mixed variants of Mega Abomasnow can OHKO Tyranitar first with Wood Hammer under Trick Room.

**Faster Pokemon**: Outside of Trick Room, Mega Abomasnow's rock-bottom Speed tier forces it to withstand attacks before it gets the chance to move. Its low speed and defensively poor Grass / Ice typing make it vulnerable to a myriad of faster attackers ranging from Mega Salamence and Mega Metagross to Marshadow and Terrakion.

**Opposing Weather**: When hail isn't active, Blizzard only has a 70% chance of hitting each target. Mega Charizard Y, Tyranitar, and Pelipper can all threaten Abomasnow with super effective STAB moves as well, although in the right situations Mega Abomasnow can KO Tyranitar and Pelipper first with strong Grass-type attacks.

**Wide Guard**: Wide Guard users like Aegislash and Celesteela can block Blizzard, leaving Mega Abomasnow vulnerable, while also threatening to KO Abomasnow with Steel-type attacks.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top