[OVERVIEW]
Snorlax's excellent Special Defense and a lone weakness to Fighting make it difficult to KO without relying on dedicated Fighting-types. This allows Snorlax to blanket check a number of dangerous threats, such as Tapu Lele, Naganadel, Greninja, and Volcarona. On top of this, Snorlax can utilize Gluttony, a pinch Berry, and Recycle to give itself an access to consistent recovery, which further improves its defensive capabilities. These factors can make Snorlax a problematic Pokemon to deal with, especially for teams that lack a way to immediately threaten it. However, Snorlax can struggle with physical attackers due to a low Defense stat and a lack of resistances. This means setting up Curse can be somewhat difficult with the prevalence of powerful physical attackers. Abysmal Speed can also be a detrimental factor for Snorlax, as it will be vulnerable to status moves, particularly Taunt.
[SET]
name: Phazer
move 1: Whirlwind
move 2: Yawn
move 3: Recycle
move 4: Heavy Slam / Earthquake
item: Iapapa Berry
ability: Gluttony
nature: Impish
evs: 4 HP / 28 Atk / 252 Def / 220 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Snorlax can reliably shuffle foes with Whirlwind and rack up damage when Stealth Rock is up. Yawn is another move that often forces a foe to switch out by discouraging it from staying in. It is also useful with preventing Snorlax's team from losing momentum in the event where a foe that offensively checks Snorlax switches in and potentially lets Snorlax provide a safe setup condition for one of its teammates. Recycle in tandem with Iapapa Berry and Gluttony lets Snorlax recover itself and remain longer as an annoyance for opposing team. The fourth move should be an attacking move to prevent Snorlax from being completely passive. Heavy Slam is typically the best option, as no foes are immune to it and the move does heavy damage to Fairy-types and frail foes like Mega Gengar. Earthquake is an alternative option that can notably OHKO a problematic Heatran and can still 2HKO Mega Gengar and Tapu Koko.
Set Details
========
28 Attack EVs allow Snorlax to, with Stealth Rock on the field, OHKO Tapu Lele and Mimikyu and 2HKO Tapu Koko and bulky Mega Gengar with Heavy Slam, preventing it from taking too much damage or punishing them should they attempt to cripple Snorlax with Taunt. The rest of the EVs are invested into Defense and Special Defense to maximize Snorlax's overall bulk with an Impish nature. 4 HP EVs set Snorlax's HP to even number, making Iapapa Berry activate after getting hit by Nature's Madness. Investing into both defenses aids Snorlax in taking hits, notably letting it avoid 2HKO from Modest Tapu Lele's Psychic. Gluttony makes Snorlax consume its Berry after it loses more than half of its HP, and Iapapa Berry heals Snorlax's health by 50%. Aguav Berry and Figi Berry are alternatives to bypass item clause if one of Snorlax's teammates is already holding Iapapa Berry.
Usage Tips
========
Thanks to its sheer bulk, Snorlax can continuously rack up damage on foes when Stealth Rock is up by forcing switches with Whirlwind and Yawn while keeping itself healthy with Recycle. Phazing a foe with Whirlwind is a good idea when a foe is going to switch out to Snorlax's offensive checks or attempt to set up on it. Otherwise, Yawn is usually a good move to use, as an opponent is forced into either switching out and making the switch-in take the damage from Stealth Rock or having one of their Pokemon fall asleep. Repeatedly using Yawn against bulkier teams is typically the best option, as this eventually forces one of the foes to be put to sleep, letting Snorlax take advantage of them to phaze foes more reliably or giving a safe switch to one of its teammates that can take advantage of a sleeping foe. Although a combination of Whirlwind and Yawn usually prevents Snorlax from being used as a setup fodder, be wary of Substitute users like Mega Salamence and Mega Gyarados, as they can use Snorlax as a setup fodder if they are the last Pokemon in the team and are behind Substitute. Substitute variants of Celesteela and Gliscor can pose problems to Snorlax in the same regard. Lastly, be very wary of foes that are capable of removing Snorlax's Iapapa Berry, as this can outright shut down Snorlax by preventing it from recovering. This means Snorlax must be cautious of Rotom's Trick and face the likes of Landorus-T, Ferrothorn, and Mega Mawile carefully. Status moves, while not as devastating as item removal moves, should also be avoided, as poison greatly reduces Snorlax's longevity while burn leaves it very passive.
Team Options
========
A physically durable Stealth Rock user pairs the best with this variant of Snorlax, as Snorlax can take advantage of said entry hazard to rack up damage by phazing foes and handle special attackers in return. Landorus-T and Skarmory are excellent choices in this regard. Landorus-T, while it lacks a reliable recovery, can handle Steel-types and Ground-types, which are quite hard to wear down with Stealth Rock damage. It also handles Heatran, which is very problematic for Snorlax to deal with due to it typically carrying Toxic or Taunt. Skarmory, on the other hand, can switch into Toxic for Snorlax, blanket check strong physical attackers like Mega Salamence and Landorus-T, and phaze foes itself. Mega Gengar can remove Pokemon that are offensively threatening or defensively troublesome for Snorlax and Skarmory . It also benefits from Snorlax's Yawn, as its Hex will massively damage foes that are asleep. A bulky, strong teammate is recommended as well to ensure that the last foe, which cannot be phazed, is reliably dealt with. Mega Salamence and Mega Gyarados are excellent choices, as they can switch into predicted Fighting-type moves for Snorlax and vastly appreciate having their checks being put to sleep or worn down by Stealth Rock. Mega Blaziken is notable for being capable of turning itself into a fearsome cleaner after a turn of setup, which can be easily done if Snorlax put a foe to sleep. Priority users are also feasible choices to deal with the last Pokemon. Greninja can quickly dispose of offensive foes like Landorus-T and Mega Blaziken, both of which are capable of overpowering Snorlax and its common teammates if using Swords Dance.
[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Recycle
move 3: Return
move 4: Earthquake / Fire Punch
item: Iapapa Berry
ability: Gluttony
nature: Adamant
evs: 148 HP / 12 Atk / 252 Def / 92 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Curse improves both Snorlax's damage output and its bulk, and improving its Defense is especially important, as setting up multiple Curses helps Snorlax overcome one of its defensive shortcomings. Recycle in tandem with Gluttony and Iapapa Berry provides Snorlax with a reliable recovery. Return is a consistent STAB move that becomes progressively more dangerous as Snorlax accumulates boosts from Curse. Earthquake hits various foes that resist Return super effectively, such as Heatran, Aegislash, Mega Metagross, and Tyranitar, and serves as the quickest way to dispose of Mega Blaziken, Naganadel, and Mega Lucario after a Curse. Fire Punch, while it has worse coverage overall, still hits many Steel-types super effectively and deals heavy damage to Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and Kartana. It also hits Celesteela hard, unlike Earthquake.
Set Details
========
The EV spread is focused on improving Snorlax's physical bulk as much as possible, as Snorlax isn't physically durable until it manages to set up multiple Curses, and heavy investment in Defense EVs is needed to maximize Curse's efficiency. While making such investment, appropriate distribution of EVs to other stats and an Adamant nature are applied for Snorlax to meet a number of important benchmarks against extremely common threats. 148 HP, 252 Defense, and 92 Special Defense allow Snorlax to survive +1 Adamant Mega Salamence's Double-Edge, avoid the 2HKO from Modest Tapu Lele's Psychic and Garchomp's Outrage, and Jolly Blaziken's High Jump Kick most of the time. The rest of the EVs are put into Attack along with an Adamant nature to amplify Snorlax's damage output to a degree. Gluttony and Iapapa Berry are mandatory to keep Snorlax healthy to let it reliably set up Curse on foes that it isn't threatened too much against. Other pinch Berries like Aguav and Figi Berry can be used to get around Item Clause.
Usage Tips
========
This variant of Snorlax aims to take advantage of a bulky foe that can't effectively combat it by setting up multiple Curses to the point where Snorlax becomes nigh impossible to surmount and gains enough offensive presence to make a sweep of its own. Snorlax can easily set up on common Pokemon like Greninja and Tapu Koko and repeat a combination of Recycle and Curse to the point where it can overpower them with boosted attacks. Although setting up with this set may seem simple, always be cautious about any Pokemon that may carry status moves, such as Heatran, Cresselia, and Zapdos. Although Snorlax can easily take any hits from them, said foes tend to carry Toxic, which prevents Snorlax from effectively fulfilling its role. Potential users of Knock Off and Trick, namely all Landorus-T, Ferrothorn, Mega Mawile, and all Rotom formes should also be scouted beforehand so that Snorlax won't lose its Iapapa Berry and be left unable to heal itself. Although less of an issue, potential OHKO move users like Gliscor or Excadrill and Perish Song users like Politoed must be played with caution as well.
Team Options
========
Landorus-T is the best partner for Snorlax, being able to aid Snorlax in a variety of ways. Almost every variant of Landorus-T can viably run Stealth Rock to ensure that Focus Sash users can't recklessly take on boosted Snorlax. Both defensive and Assault Vest variants of Landorus-T can safely bring Snorlax into a favorable matchup so that it can easily set up Curse. Swords Dance variants can take care of problematic defensive Pokemon such as Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Tapu Fini by OHKOing them all with boosted Supersonic Skystrike. Landorus-T's ability to naturally threaten troublesome foes like Mega Gengar and Heatran and switch into Fighting-type moves for Snorlax is appreciated as well. Tapu Fini is another fantastic partner, as Misty Terrain prevents Snorlax from getting crippled by status ailments. On top of being able to handle physical attackers like Mega Salamence and Mega Blaziken that would overwhelm Snorlax, Tapu Fini can wear down various foes with Nature's Madness, or, if running an offensive set, can even lure and eliminate walls like Porygon2 and Ferrothorn. Tapu Lele, while it is not defensively capable of checking Fighting-types, can still massively threaten them and can potentially provide Snorlax with a situation to reliably set up Curse by afflicting a foe with Taunt before it is KOed. Heatran can switch into various status moves for Snorlax and can spread status ailments itself, meaning it can put a problematic Pokemon on a timer with Toxic or spread burn to make physical attackers struggle even more with Snorlax as it sets up Curse. As Snorlax can take on essentially any offensive foe that lacks setup options or can heavily damage it, any teammates that can alleviate Snorlax's vulnerability to status ailments and can handle Fighting-types are generally good fits.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fissure on the phazing set can let Snorlax occasionally outright KO a problematic foe, but its inconsistency leaves this generally an inferior option. Facade on Curse can be used to take advantage of status, but if a foe would status Snorlax, they would most likely afflict it with Toxic poison to make Snorlax eventually succumb to a residual damage, and this leaves Return a far more desirable STAB move due to its consistency. Double-Edge has a better damage output than Return, but it is somewhat counterproductive to Snorlax's gameplan to consistently take hits and set up Curse. Snorlax has access to other useful abilities like Immunity, which helps with one of Snorlax's greatest annoyances by granting it an immunity to poison status, and Thick Fat, which significantly improves Snorlax's ability to check Fire- and Ice-types. These abilities may make defensive sets like Assault Vest plausible options, but there are many other Pokemon in the metagame that can blanket check a significantly larger array of threats, and the fact that the most common Fire-type Pokemon in the metagame, Mega Blaziken, possesses a Fighting typing makes Snorlax a disappointing check for Fire-types.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types and Fighting-type moves**: Fighting-types are capable of bypassing Snorlax's enormous bulk by exploiting its weakness to their STAB attacks. If they would not outright OHKO it, most Fighting-type attacks are capable of weakening Snorlax to the point where it would no longer be effective. Mega Blaziken, Mega Lucario, and Pheromosa are terrifying threats to Snorlax in this regard, but none of them can safely switch into Snorlax, and they do not appreciate switching into Yawn either, as they are forced to switch out or fall asleep next turn. Pokemon that may carry a Fighting-type move as a coverage option, such as Tapu Bulu, Mega Metagross, and Kartana, can threaten to heavily damage Snorlax. Kartana in particular is more threatening due to its ability to take a few Earthquakes and hit Snorlax through Curse boosts with Sacred Sword. However, the former two may struggle bypassing a healthy Snorlax, as in some instances Snorlax's Iapapa Berry may prevent a 2HKO.
**Ghost-types**: Though Snorlax typically prepares for Ghost-types by employing moves like Heavy Slam and Earthquake, Ghost-types like Mega Gengar, Mimikyu, and Aegislash are notable threats to Snorlax for different reasons, aside from being immune to Snorlax's STAB Return. Mega Gengar can trap and cripple Snorlax with Taunt or Will-O-Wisp, force its removal with a well-timed use of Destiny Bond, or stall Snorlax and remove it with Perish Song should it lack a reliable way to threaten Mega Gengar. Mimikyu, although it dislikes offensively taking on Snorlax with Curse, is still capable of removing Snorlax with a boosted Let's Snuggle Forever. Variants with Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, or Curse prove to be an annoyance for Snorlax as well. Aegislash, if running a defensive set, can put Snorlax on a timer with Toxic and can easily stall out Curse sets with a combination of King's Shield and Substitute. Offensive variants with Weakness Policy can rather take advantage of Curse Snorlax as long as it hasn't been excessively boosted beforehand, as Aegislash can easily survive an Earthquake and then retaliate the next turn with a boosted Sacred Sword.
**Item Removal**: Without Iapapa Berry, Snorlax is no longer able to utilize its high bulk and fulfill its role efficiently. Therefore, it must play extremely cautiously against potential users of Knock Off or Trick, such as Landorus-T, Mega Scizor, Kartana, and all Rotom formes.
**Wallbreakers**: Due to Snorlax's tendency to avoid potential KOs with a combination of Recycle and Iapapa Berry, boosted attacks or wallbreakers often pose a problem to it. Users of Swords Dance or Nasty Plot such as Mimikyu and Garchomp for the former and Naganadel and Thundurus-T for the latter can KO Snorlax with a boosted Z-Move with or without prior damage.
**Taunt**: Snorlax largely relies on its utility options to fulfill its roles and stay healthy, and due to this, it is vulnerable to Taunt users such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, and Mega Gengar. However, most of them can get 2HKOed by common Snorlax variants.
**Status**: Snorlax's extremely low Speed leaves it vulnerable to all kind of status moves and even from many status inducers that are slow by the metagame's standards. Toxic puts Snorlax on a timer, while a burn induced by Will-O-Wisp, Scald, or Lava Plume neuters Snorlax's damage putout and forces Curse variants to fully set up to do notable damage to foes. Snorlax is vulnerable to Breloom's Spore as well.
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