[OVERVIEW]
Vanilluxe's access to Snow Warning makes its Blizzard one of the strongest spammable attacks in the tier, with Choice Specs Blizzard being able to 2HKO Delphox and Emboar after hail damage. Vanilluxe also has Freeze-Dry to hit Water-types and Ice Shard to snipe the many fast Grass- and Flying-types of the tier. Despite Vanilluxe's linear coverage, these assets are very useful to have in a tier sorely lacking in bulky Steel-types that resist Ice, making Vanilluxe an effective hole puncher. While Vanilluxe doesn't need a lot of coverage moves, it still has a rather barren movepool, so it does not have much in the way of variation. Vanilluxe is also crippled by its Stealth Rock weakness and generally poor defensive typing, meaning that it offers no defensive synergy. Its Speed tier is salvageable but otherwise unimpressive, leaving it vulnerable to many offensive threats in the tier.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Freeze-Dry
move 3: Flash Cannon / Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Choice Specs
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Blizzard is Vanilluxe's strongest attack and its main method of dealing incredible damage to a majority of Pokemon in the tier. Freeze-Dry hits bulky Water-types, such as Slowking, Jellicent, and Vaporeon, that resist Blizzard super effectively and hits the likes of Seismitoad and Ludicolo for 4x super effective damage. Flash Cannon is used to nail bulky Ice-types that take Blizzards with ease, 2HKOing Cryogonal and Piloswine as well as destroying Aurorus. Hidden Power Ground may be opted for instead to target Steel-types such as Alolan Sandslash, Silvally-Steel, Togedemaru, and Probopass, which otherwise can take repeated Blizzards. Hidden Power Ground can also deter offensive Fire-types, such as Delphox, Houndoom, and Choice Scarf Emboar, from switching in and checking Vanilluxe, as they can take a Blizzard even after Stealth Rock damage, though Hidden Power Ground also needs Stealth Rock to KO them on the switch. Sleep Talk is primarily used to absorb Vileplume's Sleep Powder and start wreaking havoc from there, but Vanilluxe is a good Sleep Talk user in general because two of its three attacks are powerful and difficult to resist, not to mention the unpredictability of Sleep Talk making it harder for the opponent to pivot around reliably.
Even without an power-boosting item, Vanilluxe still has some useful physical attacks that it can consider. Ice Shard allows Vanilluxe to pick off weakened faster Pokemon, such as Sceptile, Virizion, Rotom-C, Vivillon, Minior, and Dodrio, making it useful for halting sweeps. Explosion is primarily used to lure in certain bulky Pokemon, such as Cryogonal, Assault Vest Incineroar, and Thick Fat Hariyama, and either KO or damage them beyond repair, albeit at the cost of Vanilluxe itself.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment maximizes Vanilluxe's wallbreaking presence, as Blizzard and Freeze-Dry are its main weapons for putting offensive pressure on opposing Pokemon. The remaining EVs go into Special Defense to allow Vanilluxe to take uninvested special attacks such as Scald and Giga Drain just a tad better or go into Attack if Vanilluxe is using any physical attacks. Vanilluxe's Speed tier isn't anything exceptional, so it can afford a Special Attack-boosting nature while remaining faster than Jolly Emboar instead of trying to fruitlessly Speed creep Pokemon that lie in the base 80 Speed tier. A Modest nature makes the most out of Vanilluxe's power, with a Mild nature being used if Vanilluxe is carrying physical moves. Choice Specs maximizes Vanilluxe's power, and notable KOs it can get include Freeze-Dry OHKOing Slowbro, Flash Cannon always 2HKOing Cryogonal and Piloswine, and Hidden Power Ground OHKOing Delphox after Stealth Rock and hail damage a large majority of the time. Never-Melt Ice is a perfectly fine item choice because it still powers up all of Vanilluxe's main attacks while allowing it to switch up moves, and it is arguably a more suitable item choice for Vanilluxe variants that use physical attacks. However, it misses out on the aforementioned KOs that Choice Specs allows.
Usage Tips
========
Vanilluxe's main priority is to punch holes into the opponent's team, and its best opportunity to start doing so is against a slower Pokemon that is vulnerable to its Ice-type moves; Pokemon such as Golbat, Rhydon, Vileplume, Seismitoad, Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary, and Druddigon allow Vanilluxe to just start using threatening Blizzards or Freeze-Drys. Alternatively, Vanilluxe can still use its raw power to overwhelm walls such as Weezing, Spiritomb, and Slowbro and even attempt to combat offensively weaker Pokemon such as Rotom and Eviolite Scyther one-on-one. Vanilluxe can also threaten weakened faster Pokemon with Ice Shard if it has it, especially those that are weak to it, though keep in mind that Ice Shard is far easier for the opponent to switch a Pokemon into than its other STAB moves. Identify your opponent's Vanilluxe switch-ins, if they have any, and deduce whether it's practical to just try and wear them down with repeated Blizzards and Hail damage. For the most part, Fire-types and frailer Ice-types, such as Delphox, Houndoom, Emboar, Sneasel, and opposing Vanilluxe, will usually fall to two Choice Specs Blizzards or two Never-Melt Ice Blizzards followed by an Ice Shard. However, bulkier Ice-types such as Piloswine, Cryogonal, Aurorus, and Alolan Sandslash would warrant the use of Vanilluxe's coverage moves. If Vanilluxe has Explosion, it can be used to efficiently lure in and remove bulkier Pokemon that resist Ice such as Cryogonal, Assault Vest Incineroar, and Thick Fat Hariyama, which can help clear the way for certain teammates, such as Rotom-C, Mismagius, and Houndoom, that prefer these Pokemon gone.
Team Options
========
Vanilluxe appreciates VoltTurn support a lot, as it not only allows Vanilluxe to enter battle safely, but its users tend to lure in Pokemon that Vanilluxe easily threatens. Rotom-C, Whimsicott, and Choice Scarf Braviary are examples of good VoltTurn users to pair with Vanilluxe, especially as they cover for Vanilluxe in matchups against offensive teams. Vanilluxe adores speed control, as this allows it to threaten more foes with Blizzard. Paralysis users such as Thunder Wave Slowbro, Slowking, and Qwilfish resist attacks Vanilluxe is weak to, whereas Tailwind users such as Whimsicott and Sigilyph help to keep up offensive pressure. Vanilluxe is an especially effective attacker on Sticky Web teams, due to its ability to threaten Defog users and offensive Flying-types, making Shuckle a serviceable teammate. Pokemon that can threaten offensive teams and appreciate Vanilluxe's breaking potential make for good partners. Mismagius appreciates Vanilluxe threatening Braviary and potentially luring out and beating Incineroar, whereas Rotom likes Vanilluxe pressuring bulky Grass-types and Lanturn, while both offer a switch-in to Fighting-types in return. Barbaracle likes having Vanilluxe take care of bulky Water- and Grass-types for it so that it can spam its more accurate STAB move in Razor Shell to sweep, as opposed to having to occasionally rely on Stone Edge to sweep.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Freeze-Dry
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Explosion
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Blizzard is Vanilluxe's strongest attack and its main method of dealing incredible damage. Freeze-Dry hits bulky Water-types that wish to tank Blizzards, such as Slowking, Jellicent, and Vaporeon, and is an effective weapon against rain teams, nailing all Swift Swim users for fatal damage. Ice Shard is still useful for picking off boosted threats that Vanilluxe can't outspeed, such as Lilligant, Vivillon, Minior, and Unburden Sceptile, although they require substantial prior damage for Ice Shard to KO them. Explosion does large damage to most offensive Fire- and Ice-types that wish to take Vanilluxe's hits, such as Delphox, Houndoom, Emboar, and Cryogonal, as well as being a kamikaze nuke that puts a dent in things should Vanilluxe outlive its usefulness.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs maximize Vanilluxe's offensive potential, allowing it to threaten a KO on most offensive Pokemon with Blizzard or Freeze-Dry. A Naive nature is used to allow Choice Scarf Vanilluxe to outrun +2 Turtonator, Rhydon, and Vikavolt, but if those threats are either too rare or not a concern, Rash can be used for more power. Natures that reduce Special Defense are chosen to not weaken Vanilluxe's physical moves and not increase Vanilluxe's vulnerability to priority moves.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Vanilluxe is best used against offensive teams, as they don't usually have bulky responses to Ice-type moves. Snow Warning makes Vanilluxe particularly effective against weather teams, as it cancels out their weather conditions and shuts down their Speed-boosting abilities, allowing Vanilluxe to threaten them with fast Blizzards or Freeze-Drys. Explosion is generally not something you'd go for unless Vanilluxe has become deadweight in a specific matchup and thus can be used to bait in and remove its frailer checks. Vanilluxe may even use Choice Scarf Explosion to check the likes of Calm Mind Delphox and Nasty Plot Houndoom in a pinch, though be warned that switching Vanilluxe into these threats may arouse the opponent's suspicion.
Team Options
========
This Vanilluxe variant best fits on offensive teams, which appreciate Vanilluxe lightening the load against rain and sun teams as well as threatening the many offensive Grass- and Flying-type Pokemon that may prove problematic for them. Due to Vanilluxe's tendency to invite in dangerous Fire-types, partners that can handle them are of great importance; Incineroar and Guzzlord can check Delphox and Houndoom, with the former countering Cryogonal as well, whereas Qwilfish and Slowbro help keep Emboar under control. Because Choice Scarf Vanilluxe falters against bulkier teams, teammates that help to pick up the slack are preferred. Pokemon such as Virizion, Emboar, Houndoom, Mismagius, and Toxicroak are examples of attackers that do a number to slower, bulkier teams.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Life Orb powers up all of Vanilluxe's attacks by a significant amount, particularly Explosion, at the cost of some health per attack. However, this is not particularly advisable on a Pokemon that is both weak to Stealth Rock and forced out rather frequently. Water Pulse can hit Fire-types and Piloswine in one slot but is usually overshadowed by Vanilluxe's other coverage moves. Vanilluxe has an extremely small movepool to work with, and many of its moves, such as Mirror Coat, Magnet Rise, and Magic Coat, simply aren't very effective due to its horrid defensive typing. Autotomize doubles Vanilluxe's Speed, allowing it to breeze past most of the offensive Pokemon in the tier and nail them with Blizzard. However, it does compete with Rock Polish Regice, which has greater bulk for setting up and Focus Blast to cover more targets to make up for its lesser power. Taunt allows Vanilluxe to shut down certain bulky Pokemon such as Mega Audino, Clefairy, Pyukumuku, and Bronzor, denying their attempts at recovering health or inflicting Vanilluxe with status. However, there are otherwise few situations where Vanilluxe would consider Taunting a foe, as Vanilluxe usually wins or loses in those matchups regardless of Taunt.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-type Pokemon**: Recover Cryogonal and Roost Articuno can simply heal off Vanilluxe's attacks, although Cryogonal should be wary of Explosion or Choice Specs Flash Cannon on the switch. Piloswine, Aurorus, Regice, and Alolan Sandslash can shrug off the majority of Vanilluxe's attacks, including Explosion, and outdamage it, though the former three lose if they switch into Flash Cannon, while Alolan Sandslash risks being taken out by Hidden Power Ground.
**Fire-type Pokemon**: While offensive Fire-types do get worn down by repeated Blizzards and Hail damage, Delphox, Houndoom, Emboar, Magmortar, and Typhlosion can still withstand a Blizzard or two and immediately threaten Vanilluxe with their Fire-type STAB moves, with the majority of them outrunning non-Choice Scarf Vanilluxe while easily punishing Choice-locked Vanilluxe. Assault Vest Incineroar takes extremely little damage from Vanilluxe's Ice-type moves, and may survive Life Orb-boosted Explosion even after taking prior Blizzard and hail damage.
**Fighting-type Pokemon**: Thick Fat Hariyama tanks Blizzard with impunity, although Explosion dents it significantly. Faster Fighting-types, such as Hitmonlee, Toxicroak, Medicham, Sawk, and Virizion, can easily wipe out Vanilluxe with their STAB moves, although Virizion must be wary if its HP or defenses have been sufficiently lowered into Ice Shard's KO range, and it does not check Choice Scarf Vanilluxe. Several of these Fighting-types even have access to super effective priority moves to further keep Vanilluxe in check. Bulkier Fighting-types such as Hitmontop, Gallade, and Scrafty can try to stomach a hit and retaliate with super effective Fighting-type STAB attacks for an immediate KO.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Normal-types, such as Tauros, Dodrio, Cinccino, and Ambipom, are quite capable of disposing of Vanilluxe with their high powered STAB moves or super effective coverage, but all of them are quite susceptible to the Choice Scarf set. While many fast Pokemon are weak to Ice, uninvested Ice Shard only does so much, so Pokemon such as Leaf Storm Sceptile, Heat Wave Sigilyph, and Superpower Braviary can take one Ice Shard and brutalize Vanilluxe. Other examples of Pokemon that can finish off Vanilluxe include Charizard, Ghostium Z Mismagius, Sneasel, and Kabutops. Choice Scarf Vanilluxe is not as easy to revenge kill, but it is still slower than most other Choice Scarf users, and the most notable Choice Scarf user that it does outspeed, Emboar, has a favorable matchup against it anyway.
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