Pokémon Ninetales-Alola

[Bice]

pmd fanfics' favorite mon

Base Stats: 73 / 67 / 75 / 81 / 100 / 109 (505)
Abilities: Snow Cloak / Snow Warning
Notable Moves (italics indicate STAB):
- Blizzard
- Moonblast
- Hypnosis
- Aurora Veil
- Freeze-Dry
- Nasty Plot
- Snowscape
- Encore

Full Movepool

Level-Up
Evolve - Dazzling Gleam
1 - Tail Whip
1 - Blizzard
1 - Icy Wind
1 - Imprison
Move Reminder
Disable
Confuse Ray
Spite
Extrasensory
Nasty Plot
Mist
Ice Beam
Aurora Beam
Powder Snow
Ice Shard
Freeze-Dry
Aurora Veil
TMs
Take Down
Charm
Fake Tears
Agility
Protect
Confuse Ray
Disarming Voice
Chilling Water
Facade
Hex
Swift
Icy Wind
Draining Kiss
Stored Power
Avalanche
Endure
Rain Dance
Snowscape
Psyshock
Dig
Zen Headbutt
Foul Play
Body Slam
Sleep Talk
Dazzling Gleam
Rest
Imprison
Dark Pulse
Substitute
Encore
Play Rough
Calm Mind
Helping Hand
Baton Pass (banned)
Ice Beam
Misty Terrain
Nasty Plot
Blizzard
Giga Impact
Hyper Beam
Tera Blast
Roar
Spite
Icicle Spear
Weather Ball
Egg Moves
Roar
Hypnosis
Flail
Howl
Baby-Doll Eyes
Moonblast

Positives:
- One of the precious few Pokemon with access to both Snow Warning and Aurora Veil, and unlike the other one (Abomasnow) it has an actual Speed stat
- Fairy typing lends it some useful resistances, most notably to Dragon and Dark-type attacks
- Solid base 109 Speed lets it troll a number of prominent Pokemon, namely non-Scarf Enamorus-Incarnate, Landorus-Therian, and Zapdos
- Access to both Encore and Hypnosis gives it some additional support capabilities outside of setting Snow/Screens
- Only relevant Pokemon with access to Freeze Dry (outside of maybe Mamoswine but have fun using that w/ 70 Special Attack), letting it smack Water-types for decent damage
- Greatly appreciates the new Snow weather over Hail; not only is it easier to fit on teams due to no more Hail chip, but as a support mon it appreciates Snow's defense buff

Negatives:
- Ice/Fairy is an awkward type combination that gives it a number of painful weaknesses, most notably Rock and a quadruple Steel weakness. This combined with its crippling weakness to hazards limits its longevity and makes it hard to set Screens/Snow multiple times
- Has "One Item Slot Syndrome"; it wants to run Light Clay, Icy Rock, Heavy-Duty Boots and Focus Sash all at once but it can't, limiting its support capabilities
- 81 Special Attack is pitiful in this powercrept meta, making it somewhat passive
- Speaking of creep, speed creep has made Alolan Ninetales' 109 Speed less impressive, notably falling short of threats such as Iron Valiant
- Shallow movepool makes it a 1.5 trick pony and lets it get mobbed by Steel-types without Tera (which isn't recommended)
- Can get screwed over by other weather setters when attempting to set screens, such as Torkoal and Pelipper

Tera Potential
Due to Ninetales being primarily a support Pokemon, it's not recommended to Terastallize it in order to let more threatening teammates Tera during a sweep. If you really need to, however, here's a few options:

- Boosts Moonblast and sheds its Ice-typing, removing its Rock and Fire weaknesses and restoring its Fighting resist. Could be useful against Iron Valiant

- A usual suspect for support mons, flips its Steel and Rock weaknesses and is just a really good defensive typing

- Also a solid defensive type, which unlike Steel gives Ninetales a handy Fire resist

- On more offensive sets, Ground can smack Steel-types (most notably Heatran) as well as Galarian Slowking in addition to giving it a Rock resist

Potential Set
Aurora Veil Is Balanced (Screens Setter)
Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
Tera Type: Steel / Water / Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Aurora Veil
- Hypnosis / Moonblast
- Freeze-Dry
- Encore
Returning from SS OU, this will likely be the primary Ninetales set. Aurora Veil is a broken move that enables Ninetales's teammates to set up. Hypnosis is useful for crippling opposing threats, while Moonblast is a secondary STAB that's stronger than Freeze-Dry. Speaking of which, Freeze-Dry is used over Blizzard due to its ability to target Water-types such as Toxapex and Dondozo. Encore prevents Alolan Ninetales from becoming setup bait and also enables it to annoy bulkier support Pokemon. Light Clay is recommended due to it extending the duration of Aurora Veil. Generally set up sweepers like Manaphy and Zamazenta appreciate the extra bulk provided by Aurora Veil, so those would make for some good partners.

Conclusion
Alolan Ninetales finds a comfy niche as a screens setter that makes the plethora of setup sweepers in the tier even more dangerous. However, power creep has not been kind to it, making its once-solid stats a lot worse. My guess is even with its niche it'll fall to UU, probably going to UUBL due to the power of Aurora Veil.

 

[Dreadfury]

Veil teams with Baxcalibur+Manaphy+some other generic setup sweepers will go nuts thanks to this guy's support.

Honestly, I'm so upset that Baxcalibur got buffed so heavily as is; I feel like something between Aurora Veil and Baxcalibur will inevitably have to be addressed.

 

[Loginator]

poor physical bulk

I don’t think the poor physical bulk is much of an issue outside of opposing weather due to the snow buff. Its actually higher than its special bulk

 

[Bice]

I don’t think the poor physical bulk is much of an issue outside of opposing weather due to the snow buff. Its actually higher than its special bulk

I forgot about that, oops. I'll fix that

 

[Bice]

fuck i gotta rewrite most of this now that bax got banned

 

[DiscoDucky]

Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
Tera Type: Steel / Water / Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Aurora Veil
- Hypnosis / Moonblast
- Freeze-Dry
- Encore / Snowscape

Someone mentioned it in the OU metagame thread that Snowscape is a good tech on ATales. The Snowscape allows you to match up against Rain and Sun teams that messes up ATales' screens.

 

[Kenpwnchi]

Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
Tera Type: Steel / Water / Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Aurora Veil
- Hypnosis / Moonblast
- Freeze-Dry
- Encore / Snowscape

Someone mentioned it in the OU metagame thread that Snowscape is a good tech on ATales. The Snowscape allows you to match up against Rain and Sun teams that messes up ATales' screens.

I agree, but Snowscape is only useful if you activate it after another Weather setter is switched in by the opponent. You can catch them off guard, and still set Aurora Veil next turn (since they're most likely not gonna have another way to set their Weather [aside from switching their Weather setter out and back in]).