UberSkitty
Assist Skitty was too broken for NDUbers
uploaded -zard
QC: Yogurt / Megazard / Drumstick
GP: A Cake Wearing A Hat / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Abomasnow is a decent wallbreaker with a great offensive typing, a good movepool, and decent offensive stats. It also has a great ability in Snow Warning, which allows it to spam Blizzard without a fear of missing, constantly wears down foes, limits certain healing moves such as Musharna's Moonlight, and puts a stop to weather teams. These attributes let Abomasnow perform a wide variety of roles, most notably as a mixed wallbreaker, a Choice Scarf user, and a Swords Dance sweeper. However, one of Abomasnow's major setbacks is in its Speed. This, combined with its terrible defensive typing, allows many Pokemon to KO it relatively easily. Abomasnow's offensive stats can also be underwhelming at times, as it cannot easily break past Pokemon such as Clefairy and Type: Null. Abomasnow is also easily worn down by Stealth Rock and potential recoil from Life Orb and Wood Hammer. Furthermore, it faces a lot of competition from other wallbreakers, particularly Aurorus which is slightly stronger and has better defensive typing and Speed. However, Abomasnow's niche comes from its near-unresisted combination of STAB moves and coverage.
[SET]
name: Mixed Wallbreaker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain / Wood Hammer
move 3: Earthquake / Focus Blast
move 4: Ice Shard
item: Life Orb
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Hasty / Mild
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Blizzard serves as Abomasnow's main STAB attack, and its high Base Power allows Abomasnow to hit bulky Pokemon such as Palossand, Weezing, and Alolan Exeggutor. It also does not have to worry about missing thanks to Snow Warning. Giga Drain is another STAB move that supplies coverage against Water-types and some other Ice-resistant Pokemon, such as Carracosta, Lanturn, and Aurorus. It also gives Abomasnow a form of recovery that pairs well with Life Orb. Wood Hammer is an alternative Grass-type STAB move that can hit certain specially defensive threats such as Clefairy and Munchlax, but it causes Abomasnow to take significant recoil damage. Earthquake gives Abomasnow a way to hit Fire- and Steel-types such as Magmortar, Pyroar, and Togedemaru on the switch in. Focus Blast is an alternate coverage option over Earthquake that still hits Steel-types and also hits certain Pokemon that are neutral to Earthquake such as Ferroseed and Thick Fat Miltank. However, it enables Pokemon such as Magmortar to switch in on Abomasnow much more safely. Ice Shard allows Abomasnow to threaten faster foes and KO frailer or weakened Pokemon, such as Archeops, Oricorio-G, and Lilligant.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Special Attack and Speed and a Life Orb let Abomasnow hit as strong and fast as possible. A Hasty nature allows it to outspeed Pokemon such as Timid Aurorus and Modest Ludicolo. Abomasnow can also run a Mild nature in order to hit harder at the cost of being outsped by the aforementioned threats. In both cases, a Defense-lowering nature is used over a Special Defense-lowering one so Abomasnow can more easily check certain special Water- and Grass-types, such as Gastrodon and Lilligant, without weakening its physical attacks. Snow Warning increases the accuracy of Blizzard, whittles down foes, and restricts the recovery of Pokemon like Musharna to ease Abomasnow's attempts to break through them.
Usage Tips
========
Abomasnow should be used to break slower and bulkier foes such as Drampa, Palossand, Gastrodon, Weezing, and Sableye. This should be done early- to mid-game so that late-game sweepers and cleaners can have an easier time fulfilling their roles. Be wary that many of these bulkier Pokemon will switch out immediately when Abomasnow is brought in, so be prepared to double switch or use Earthquake or Focus Blast in order to KO a predicted Fire- or Steel-type switch-in. Abomasnow can also wear them down over time, as they take a decent amount from Blizzard and hail's chip damage. Abomasnow should not switch directly into attacks, as it needs to stay as healthy as possible in order to effectively wallbreak. It can be brought in with a slow U-turn or Volt Switch user, such as Mesprit or Lanturn, or after a teammate has been KOed. Abomasnow can also make use of aggressive double switches to come in safely. Ice Shard should be used to revenge kill weakened faster foes such as Archeops and Lilligant. It can also be used against foes such as Alolan Exeggutor under Trick Room. Abomasnow can take advantage of Giga Drain to regain health lost from Life Orb recoil, entry hazards, or any other forms of damage.
Team Options
========
Fast Pokemon such as Archeops and Floatzel and setup sweepers such as Alolan Raichu, Carracosta, and Lycanroc appreciate Abomasnow's ability to break down bulkier foes such as Regirock and Gastrodon so that they can more easily clean late-game. Fire-type checks such as Regirock, Gastrodon, and Clefairy can help against Pokemon such as Magmortar and Pyroar that can give Abomasnow trouble. Fighting-types such as Primeape and Hitmonchan can also give Abomasnow issues, so Pokemon such as Spiritomb, Oricorio-G, and Silvally-Fairy can come in handy. Slow pivots such as Mesprit and Lanturn can take hits in order to bring Abomasnow in safely. Mesprit can also serve as a check to Fighting-types, a Stealth Rock setter, and a form of late-game support with Healing Wish. Stealth Rock and other entry hazards work well with hail to whittle down foes such as Regirock and Lanturn, making them easier for Abomasnow to break through. Good examples of hazard setters include Palossand and Weezing. Conversely, Abomasnow dislikes having to take damage from entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, so hazard removers such as Skuntank and Hitmonchan can keep Abomasnow healthy. Finally, Abomasnow can form a decent core with Alolan Sandslash, which takes advantage of Snow Warning thanks to Slush Rush and breaks through certain special walls such as Clefairy. In return, Abomasnow can break through certain physical walls like Weezing.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Blizzard is Abomasnow's strongest STAB option, and it hits Pokemon such as Archeops, Lilligant, and Oricorio-G super effectively. Giga Drain is Abomasnow's Grass-type STAB attack that gives it a form of recovery and hits some Pokemon that resist Blizzard such as Lanturn, Kabutops, and Aurorus. Focus Blast gives Abomasnow coverage for Steel-types such as Ferroseed and Aggron, as well as other Pokemon such as Miltank, that would otherwise wall Abomasnow. Earthquake hits Fire-types such as Magmortar and Combusken and can hit Steel-types like Togedemaru more reliably than Focus Blast. It also allows Abomasnow to 2HKO physically frail Pokemon such as Jynx. Energy Ball can be run over Giga Drain for slightly more power, but Abomasnow prefers the ability to regain health.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Special Attack and Speed maximize Abomasnow's offensive presence. A Choice Scarf, when combined with a Naive nature, allows Abomasnow to outspeed everything under base 115 Speed, such as Archeops and Oricorio-G, and it also lets Abomasnow outspeed some boosted Pokemon such as +2 Carracosta. Snow Warning, on top of giving Blizzard perfect accuracy, can be used to stop opposing weathers, which lets Abomasnow revenge kill weather sweepers such as Kabutops, Shiftry, and Stoutland. A Naive nature is used so that Abomasnow does not weaken Earthquake and takes minimal damage from priority attacks.
Usage Tips
========
With a Choice Scarf, Abomasnow can serve as a decently fast wallbreaker; it is especially effective against hyper offensive teams, as they often struggle to have a reliable switch-in for Abomasnow's attacks. It does well against weather-based teams, as it can be brought in on a free switch or on a predicted move like Swords Dance on Pokemon such as Kabutops and Leafeon. Negating the weather, Abomasnow is then able to outspeed them and pick up the KO. Its Speed also allows Abomasnow to serve as an overall decent revenge killer and cleaner. On top of being brought in after a teammate is KOed, it can also be brought in with the help of a slow pivot such as Mesprit or Lanturn. These methods are used to bring Abomasnow in because it is rather frail and needs to stay healthy to perform its role optimally. Your opponent can struggle to predict Abomasnow's item from Team Preview, so it can take advantage of this to lure in otherwise faster threats such as Magmortar and Togedemaru that would generally stay in against it or come in to revenge kill it. However, be wary that without an item that boosts its power, Abomasnow's damage output can be somewhat underwhelming at times, so it often requires foes to be weakened before it can KO them. Also stay aware that once Abomasnow's Choice Scarf has been revealed, it becomes much easier for the opponent to play around.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers such as Oricorio-G and Alolan Raticate appreciate Abomasnow's ability to lure in and take out faster threats such as Archeops. In return, these setup sweepers can weaken the opposing team before Abomasnow comes in to clean. Wallbreakers like Magmortar are also good partners for this reason. Alolan Raticate can also support Abomasnow by using Knock Off on faster Choice Scarf users like Togedemaru and Pyroar. Entry hazard setters such as Mesprit and Golurk can help whittle down the opposing team, making it even easier for Abomasnow to clean. Mesprit can also support Abomasnow as a slow pivot and with a late-game Healing Wish. Eelektross is another good partner that can support Abomasnow with Knock Off and bring it in safely with a slow Volt Switch. While Abomasnow can serve as a decent revenge killer and cleaner, it is not the best way to keep faster foes in check, so teams may want a second Choice Scarf user to more reliably fulfill that role, such as Primeape or Togedemaru. Due to its weakness to Stealth Rock and other hazards, Abomasnow appreciates having a form of hazard removal on its team, such as Hitmonchan or Silvally-Fairy.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Wood Hammer / Seed Bomb
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Earthquake / Blizzard
item: Grassium Z / Life Orb
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Jolly / Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance boosts Abomasnow's Attack stat, allowing it to more easily break through certain walls such as Clefairy and Eelektross. Wood Hammer serves as Abomasnow's main Grass-type STAB attack, hitting Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types such as Gastrodon, Regirock, and Palossand, although using it comes at the cost of taking a good amount of recoil. Bloom Doom coming from Wood Hammer more easily breaks through bulky foes such as Gurdurr and Type: Null, and it also ignores the recoil of Wood Hammer. Seed Bomb is an alternate option over Wood Hammer when running a Life Orb because it does not deal additional recoil damage. Ice Shard is Abomasnow's best way to make up for its lackluster Speed; it hits Pokemon such as Archeops, Lilligant, and Oricorio-G and can be decently powerful when combined with a Swords Dance boost. Earthquake hits Steel-types such as Aggron and Probopass, which can otherwise take any attack except +2 Bloom Doom. It can also be used to hit faster Fire- and Steel-types such as Magmortar, Pyroar, and Togedemaru on the switch. Blizzard is an alternative option that can serve as a decently powerful Ice-type STAB attack; in particular, it hits physically bulky Pokemon like Weezing and Gourgeist that would otherwise wall Abomasnow. However, this leaves it much more vulnerable to Fire- and Steel-types.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Attack and Speed allow Abomasnow to more easily sweep and break through walls. A Jolly or Hasty nature enables Abomasnow to outspeed Pokemon such as Timid Aurorus and Jolly Golurk. Whereas a Jolly nature is run when using Earthquake, a Hasty nature is used alongside Blizzard to maximize its power. An Adamant or Lonely nature can be run to further raise Abomasnow’s Attack, but this leaves it unable to outspeed Pokemon such as Timid Aurorus and Jolly Golurk. Grassium Z with Wood Hammer lets Abomasnow use a 190-Base Power Bloom Doom, which lacks the recoil of Wood Hammer and can break past walls like Type: Null, Musharna, and even Weezing. If the team has another Z-Move user, Abomasnow can instead run a Life Orb to boost its overall power. It is run along with Seed Bomb, as Wood Hammer's recoil would otherwise stack with the Life Orb's.
Usage Tips
========
Abomasnow should take advantage of the Attack boost from Swords Dance to break through bulkier Pokemon such as Clefairy and Musharna so a teammate can come in to clean up. Through a combination of Swords Dance and Ice Shard, Abomasnow can also serve as a decent late-game cleaner, and it can also be used as a setup sweeper, ideally after threats such as Primeape and Magmortar have been KOed or at least put in range of Ice Shard. Abomasnow should set up against bulkier Pokemon that can do little to it, such as Musharna and Audino, although it should stay wary of moves such as Audino's Encore and Toxic. Abomasnow can also take advantage of its overall unpredictability to lure in certain Pokemon that can give its other sets trouble such as Clefairy and Type: Null, and it can scare away Pokemon that can deal with the Swords Dance set, such as Weezing. If running Blizzard, Abomasnow can further attempt to bluff its mixed wallbreaker set. However, even without a Swords Dance boost, Abomasnow can still put a dent it in the opponent's team due to the high Base Power of Wood Hammer and Blizzard, and it can serve as a decent revenge killer with Ice Shard. Abomasnow should be brought onto the field with the help of a slow pivot such as Mesprit or Lanturn, after a teammate has been KOed, or against a predicted non-damaging move such as Clefairy's Stealth Rock or Soft-Boiled.
Team Options
========
Fast Pokemon such as Archeops and Pyroar appreciate Abomasnow's ability to weaken the walls that give them trouble such as Regirock and defensive Carracosta, while they can help clean up in return. Special wallbreakers such as Magmortar can aid Abomasnow against physical walls that can potentially stop it from sweeping, such as Weezing and Sableye, while Abomasnow can deal with special walls, such as Audino and Eelektross. Thunder Wave users such as Regirock and Clefairy can help cripple faster threats such as Primeape and Magmortar, allowing Abomasnow to outspeed them, but be aware that Abomasnow needs to run a positive Speed nature to outspeed paralyzed Choice Scarf Primeape. Regirock and Clefairy can also help wear the opponent's team down with Stealth Rock and can serve as checks for Fire-types. Mesprit can support Abomasnow with its slow U-turn, ability to set Stealth Rock, and access to Healing Wish. Probopass stacks a weakness to Fighting-type attacks, but it can serve as a slow pivot and can trap Steel-types that can potentially give Abomasnow trouble, such as Ferroseed. Due to Abomasnow's weakness to entry hazards, Pokemon that can provide hazard removal such as Skuntank and Silvally-Water are also appreciated.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Soundproof allows Abomasnow to switch in on Hyper Voice from Pokemon such as Drampa and Aurorus. However, without an accurate Blizzard, Abomasnow has a much more difficult time breaking through walls such as Musharna and Sableye. Choice Specs can provide more damage output as a wallbreaker, but Abomasnow prefers the ability to switch between coverage moves and does not appreciate having to be completely special. This set is also outclassed by Aurorus. Grass Whistle can put the opposing Pokemon to sleep, allowing Abomasnow to break through them while they do nothing in return, but it is rather unreliable due to its low accuracy and forces Abomasnow to lose out on coverage. A combination of Substitute and Leech Seed can allow Abomasnow to stall out opposing Pokemon with the chip damage of Leech Seed and Hail, but Abomasnow usually lacks the bulk to use it successfully. Growth boosts both Abomasnow’s Attack and Special Attack, but it is generally outclassed by Swords Dance as a setup option.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Fire-types like Magmortar, Pyroar, and Combusken outspeed Abomasnow and OHKO it with Fire Blast. All of them have to watch out for Earthquake, however.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Primeape and Life Orb Hitmonchan can outspeed Abomasnow and OHKO it with their STAB attacks. However, non-Choice Scarf variants of these Pokemon are outsped by Choice Scarf Abomasnow. Slower Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Assault Vest Hitmonchan can take a hit before KOing in return, or they can take Abomasnow out with Mach Punch if it has taken enough damage already.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially Defensive Pokemon such as Clefairy, Type: Null, Audino, and Miltank can switch in on non-Swords Dance Abomasnow and use it to set up Stealth Rock or Swords Dance, or they can whittle it down with Toxic. Mixed wallbreaker Abomasnow can 2HKO Audino and Miltank with Focus Blast, however.
**Steel-types**: Certain Steel-types such as Togedemaru, Alolan Dugtrio, and Alolan Sandslash can outspeed Abomasnow and OHKO it with Iron Head, although Alolan Dugtrio does not want to take a +2 Ice Shard. Alolan Sandslash can also take advantage of Abomasnow's hail, even after Abomasnow is KOed. Bronzor is notable, as it resists all of Abomasnow’s attacks except Focus Blast and can take advantage of Abomasnow to set up Stealth Rock, heal off any damage with Rest, or whittle Abomasnow down with Toxic and Psywave. Some bulky Steel-types such as Ferroseed and Probopass can deal with Abomasnow's Choice Scarf set if it is locked into a resisted move, but otherwise they have to watch out for super effective coverage moves. Finally, Metang can take a hit before OHKOing Abomasnow with Meteor Mash or possibly 2HKOing it with Bullet Punch.
**Residual Damage*: Throughout the game, Abomasnow can be worn down by various forms of chip damage such as entry hazards, Toxic poison, and recoil from Life Orb or Wood Hammer. This makes Abomasnow much easier to revenge kill, especially when combined with its mediocre Speed and defenses.
QC: Yogurt / Megazard / Drumstick
GP: A Cake Wearing A Hat / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Abomasnow is a decent wallbreaker with a great offensive typing, a good movepool, and decent offensive stats. It also has a great ability in Snow Warning, which allows it to spam Blizzard without a fear of missing, constantly wears down foes, limits certain healing moves such as Musharna's Moonlight, and puts a stop to weather teams. These attributes let Abomasnow perform a wide variety of roles, most notably as a mixed wallbreaker, a Choice Scarf user, and a Swords Dance sweeper. However, one of Abomasnow's major setbacks is in its Speed. This, combined with its terrible defensive typing, allows many Pokemon to KO it relatively easily. Abomasnow's offensive stats can also be underwhelming at times, as it cannot easily break past Pokemon such as Clefairy and Type: Null. Abomasnow is also easily worn down by Stealth Rock and potential recoil from Life Orb and Wood Hammer. Furthermore, it faces a lot of competition from other wallbreakers, particularly Aurorus which is slightly stronger and has better defensive typing and Speed. However, Abomasnow's niche comes from its near-unresisted combination of STAB moves and coverage.
[SET]
name: Mixed Wallbreaker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain / Wood Hammer
move 3: Earthquake / Focus Blast
move 4: Ice Shard
item: Life Orb
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Hasty / Mild
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Blizzard serves as Abomasnow's main STAB attack, and its high Base Power allows Abomasnow to hit bulky Pokemon such as Palossand, Weezing, and Alolan Exeggutor. It also does not have to worry about missing thanks to Snow Warning. Giga Drain is another STAB move that supplies coverage against Water-types and some other Ice-resistant Pokemon, such as Carracosta, Lanturn, and Aurorus. It also gives Abomasnow a form of recovery that pairs well with Life Orb. Wood Hammer is an alternative Grass-type STAB move that can hit certain specially defensive threats such as Clefairy and Munchlax, but it causes Abomasnow to take significant recoil damage. Earthquake gives Abomasnow a way to hit Fire- and Steel-types such as Magmortar, Pyroar, and Togedemaru on the switch in. Focus Blast is an alternate coverage option over Earthquake that still hits Steel-types and also hits certain Pokemon that are neutral to Earthquake such as Ferroseed and Thick Fat Miltank. However, it enables Pokemon such as Magmortar to switch in on Abomasnow much more safely. Ice Shard allows Abomasnow to threaten faster foes and KO frailer or weakened Pokemon, such as Archeops, Oricorio-G, and Lilligant.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Special Attack and Speed and a Life Orb let Abomasnow hit as strong and fast as possible. A Hasty nature allows it to outspeed Pokemon such as Timid Aurorus and Modest Ludicolo. Abomasnow can also run a Mild nature in order to hit harder at the cost of being outsped by the aforementioned threats. In both cases, a Defense-lowering nature is used over a Special Defense-lowering one so Abomasnow can more easily check certain special Water- and Grass-types, such as Gastrodon and Lilligant, without weakening its physical attacks. Snow Warning increases the accuracy of Blizzard, whittles down foes, and restricts the recovery of Pokemon like Musharna to ease Abomasnow's attempts to break through them.
Usage Tips
========
Abomasnow should be used to break slower and bulkier foes such as Drampa, Palossand, Gastrodon, Weezing, and Sableye. This should be done early- to mid-game so that late-game sweepers and cleaners can have an easier time fulfilling their roles. Be wary that many of these bulkier Pokemon will switch out immediately when Abomasnow is brought in, so be prepared to double switch or use Earthquake or Focus Blast in order to KO a predicted Fire- or Steel-type switch-in. Abomasnow can also wear them down over time, as they take a decent amount from Blizzard and hail's chip damage. Abomasnow should not switch directly into attacks, as it needs to stay as healthy as possible in order to effectively wallbreak. It can be brought in with a slow U-turn or Volt Switch user, such as Mesprit or Lanturn, or after a teammate has been KOed. Abomasnow can also make use of aggressive double switches to come in safely. Ice Shard should be used to revenge kill weakened faster foes such as Archeops and Lilligant. It can also be used against foes such as Alolan Exeggutor under Trick Room. Abomasnow can take advantage of Giga Drain to regain health lost from Life Orb recoil, entry hazards, or any other forms of damage.
Team Options
========
Fast Pokemon such as Archeops and Floatzel and setup sweepers such as Alolan Raichu, Carracosta, and Lycanroc appreciate Abomasnow's ability to break down bulkier foes such as Regirock and Gastrodon so that they can more easily clean late-game. Fire-type checks such as Regirock, Gastrodon, and Clefairy can help against Pokemon such as Magmortar and Pyroar that can give Abomasnow trouble. Fighting-types such as Primeape and Hitmonchan can also give Abomasnow issues, so Pokemon such as Spiritomb, Oricorio-G, and Silvally-Fairy can come in handy. Slow pivots such as Mesprit and Lanturn can take hits in order to bring Abomasnow in safely. Mesprit can also serve as a check to Fighting-types, a Stealth Rock setter, and a form of late-game support with Healing Wish. Stealth Rock and other entry hazards work well with hail to whittle down foes such as Regirock and Lanturn, making them easier for Abomasnow to break through. Good examples of hazard setters include Palossand and Weezing. Conversely, Abomasnow dislikes having to take damage from entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, so hazard removers such as Skuntank and Hitmonchan can keep Abomasnow healthy. Finally, Abomasnow can form a decent core with Alolan Sandslash, which takes advantage of Snow Warning thanks to Slush Rush and breaks through certain special walls such as Clefairy. In return, Abomasnow can break through certain physical walls like Weezing.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Blizzard is Abomasnow's strongest STAB option, and it hits Pokemon such as Archeops, Lilligant, and Oricorio-G super effectively. Giga Drain is Abomasnow's Grass-type STAB attack that gives it a form of recovery and hits some Pokemon that resist Blizzard such as Lanturn, Kabutops, and Aurorus. Focus Blast gives Abomasnow coverage for Steel-types such as Ferroseed and Aggron, as well as other Pokemon such as Miltank, that would otherwise wall Abomasnow. Earthquake hits Fire-types such as Magmortar and Combusken and can hit Steel-types like Togedemaru more reliably than Focus Blast. It also allows Abomasnow to 2HKO physically frail Pokemon such as Jynx. Energy Ball can be run over Giga Drain for slightly more power, but Abomasnow prefers the ability to regain health.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Special Attack and Speed maximize Abomasnow's offensive presence. A Choice Scarf, when combined with a Naive nature, allows Abomasnow to outspeed everything under base 115 Speed, such as Archeops and Oricorio-G, and it also lets Abomasnow outspeed some boosted Pokemon such as +2 Carracosta. Snow Warning, on top of giving Blizzard perfect accuracy, can be used to stop opposing weathers, which lets Abomasnow revenge kill weather sweepers such as Kabutops, Shiftry, and Stoutland. A Naive nature is used so that Abomasnow does not weaken Earthquake and takes minimal damage from priority attacks.
Usage Tips
========
With a Choice Scarf, Abomasnow can serve as a decently fast wallbreaker; it is especially effective against hyper offensive teams, as they often struggle to have a reliable switch-in for Abomasnow's attacks. It does well against weather-based teams, as it can be brought in on a free switch or on a predicted move like Swords Dance on Pokemon such as Kabutops and Leafeon. Negating the weather, Abomasnow is then able to outspeed them and pick up the KO. Its Speed also allows Abomasnow to serve as an overall decent revenge killer and cleaner. On top of being brought in after a teammate is KOed, it can also be brought in with the help of a slow pivot such as Mesprit or Lanturn. These methods are used to bring Abomasnow in because it is rather frail and needs to stay healthy to perform its role optimally. Your opponent can struggle to predict Abomasnow's item from Team Preview, so it can take advantage of this to lure in otherwise faster threats such as Magmortar and Togedemaru that would generally stay in against it or come in to revenge kill it. However, be wary that without an item that boosts its power, Abomasnow's damage output can be somewhat underwhelming at times, so it often requires foes to be weakened before it can KO them. Also stay aware that once Abomasnow's Choice Scarf has been revealed, it becomes much easier for the opponent to play around.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers such as Oricorio-G and Alolan Raticate appreciate Abomasnow's ability to lure in and take out faster threats such as Archeops. In return, these setup sweepers can weaken the opposing team before Abomasnow comes in to clean. Wallbreakers like Magmortar are also good partners for this reason. Alolan Raticate can also support Abomasnow by using Knock Off on faster Choice Scarf users like Togedemaru and Pyroar. Entry hazard setters such as Mesprit and Golurk can help whittle down the opposing team, making it even easier for Abomasnow to clean. Mesprit can also support Abomasnow as a slow pivot and with a late-game Healing Wish. Eelektross is another good partner that can support Abomasnow with Knock Off and bring it in safely with a slow Volt Switch. While Abomasnow can serve as a decent revenge killer and cleaner, it is not the best way to keep faster foes in check, so teams may want a second Choice Scarf user to more reliably fulfill that role, such as Primeape or Togedemaru. Due to its weakness to Stealth Rock and other hazards, Abomasnow appreciates having a form of hazard removal on its team, such as Hitmonchan or Silvally-Fairy.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Wood Hammer / Seed Bomb
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Earthquake / Blizzard
item: Grassium Z / Life Orb
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Jolly / Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance boosts Abomasnow's Attack stat, allowing it to more easily break through certain walls such as Clefairy and Eelektross. Wood Hammer serves as Abomasnow's main Grass-type STAB attack, hitting Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types such as Gastrodon, Regirock, and Palossand, although using it comes at the cost of taking a good amount of recoil. Bloom Doom coming from Wood Hammer more easily breaks through bulky foes such as Gurdurr and Type: Null, and it also ignores the recoil of Wood Hammer. Seed Bomb is an alternate option over Wood Hammer when running a Life Orb because it does not deal additional recoil damage. Ice Shard is Abomasnow's best way to make up for its lackluster Speed; it hits Pokemon such as Archeops, Lilligant, and Oricorio-G and can be decently powerful when combined with a Swords Dance boost. Earthquake hits Steel-types such as Aggron and Probopass, which can otherwise take any attack except +2 Bloom Doom. It can also be used to hit faster Fire- and Steel-types such as Magmortar, Pyroar, and Togedemaru on the switch. Blizzard is an alternative option that can serve as a decently powerful Ice-type STAB attack; in particular, it hits physically bulky Pokemon like Weezing and Gourgeist that would otherwise wall Abomasnow. However, this leaves it much more vulnerable to Fire- and Steel-types.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Attack and Speed allow Abomasnow to more easily sweep and break through walls. A Jolly or Hasty nature enables Abomasnow to outspeed Pokemon such as Timid Aurorus and Jolly Golurk. Whereas a Jolly nature is run when using Earthquake, a Hasty nature is used alongside Blizzard to maximize its power. An Adamant or Lonely nature can be run to further raise Abomasnow’s Attack, but this leaves it unable to outspeed Pokemon such as Timid Aurorus and Jolly Golurk. Grassium Z with Wood Hammer lets Abomasnow use a 190-Base Power Bloom Doom, which lacks the recoil of Wood Hammer and can break past walls like Type: Null, Musharna, and even Weezing. If the team has another Z-Move user, Abomasnow can instead run a Life Orb to boost its overall power. It is run along with Seed Bomb, as Wood Hammer's recoil would otherwise stack with the Life Orb's.
Usage Tips
========
Abomasnow should take advantage of the Attack boost from Swords Dance to break through bulkier Pokemon such as Clefairy and Musharna so a teammate can come in to clean up. Through a combination of Swords Dance and Ice Shard, Abomasnow can also serve as a decent late-game cleaner, and it can also be used as a setup sweeper, ideally after threats such as Primeape and Magmortar have been KOed or at least put in range of Ice Shard. Abomasnow should set up against bulkier Pokemon that can do little to it, such as Musharna and Audino, although it should stay wary of moves such as Audino's Encore and Toxic. Abomasnow can also take advantage of its overall unpredictability to lure in certain Pokemon that can give its other sets trouble such as Clefairy and Type: Null, and it can scare away Pokemon that can deal with the Swords Dance set, such as Weezing. If running Blizzard, Abomasnow can further attempt to bluff its mixed wallbreaker set. However, even without a Swords Dance boost, Abomasnow can still put a dent it in the opponent's team due to the high Base Power of Wood Hammer and Blizzard, and it can serve as a decent revenge killer with Ice Shard. Abomasnow should be brought onto the field with the help of a slow pivot such as Mesprit or Lanturn, after a teammate has been KOed, or against a predicted non-damaging move such as Clefairy's Stealth Rock or Soft-Boiled.
Team Options
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Fast Pokemon such as Archeops and Pyroar appreciate Abomasnow's ability to weaken the walls that give them trouble such as Regirock and defensive Carracosta, while they can help clean up in return. Special wallbreakers such as Magmortar can aid Abomasnow against physical walls that can potentially stop it from sweeping, such as Weezing and Sableye, while Abomasnow can deal with special walls, such as Audino and Eelektross. Thunder Wave users such as Regirock and Clefairy can help cripple faster threats such as Primeape and Magmortar, allowing Abomasnow to outspeed them, but be aware that Abomasnow needs to run a positive Speed nature to outspeed paralyzed Choice Scarf Primeape. Regirock and Clefairy can also help wear the opponent's team down with Stealth Rock and can serve as checks for Fire-types. Mesprit can support Abomasnow with its slow U-turn, ability to set Stealth Rock, and access to Healing Wish. Probopass stacks a weakness to Fighting-type attacks, but it can serve as a slow pivot and can trap Steel-types that can potentially give Abomasnow trouble, such as Ferroseed. Due to Abomasnow's weakness to entry hazards, Pokemon that can provide hazard removal such as Skuntank and Silvally-Water are also appreciated.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Soundproof allows Abomasnow to switch in on Hyper Voice from Pokemon such as Drampa and Aurorus. However, without an accurate Blizzard, Abomasnow has a much more difficult time breaking through walls such as Musharna and Sableye. Choice Specs can provide more damage output as a wallbreaker, but Abomasnow prefers the ability to switch between coverage moves and does not appreciate having to be completely special. This set is also outclassed by Aurorus. Grass Whistle can put the opposing Pokemon to sleep, allowing Abomasnow to break through them while they do nothing in return, but it is rather unreliable due to its low accuracy and forces Abomasnow to lose out on coverage. A combination of Substitute and Leech Seed can allow Abomasnow to stall out opposing Pokemon with the chip damage of Leech Seed and Hail, but Abomasnow usually lacks the bulk to use it successfully. Growth boosts both Abomasnow’s Attack and Special Attack, but it is generally outclassed by Swords Dance as a setup option.
Checks and Counters
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**Fire-types**: Fire-types like Magmortar, Pyroar, and Combusken outspeed Abomasnow and OHKO it with Fire Blast. All of them have to watch out for Earthquake, however.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Primeape and Life Orb Hitmonchan can outspeed Abomasnow and OHKO it with their STAB attacks. However, non-Choice Scarf variants of these Pokemon are outsped by Choice Scarf Abomasnow. Slower Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Assault Vest Hitmonchan can take a hit before KOing in return, or they can take Abomasnow out with Mach Punch if it has taken enough damage already.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially Defensive Pokemon such as Clefairy, Type: Null, Audino, and Miltank can switch in on non-Swords Dance Abomasnow and use it to set up Stealth Rock or Swords Dance, or they can whittle it down with Toxic. Mixed wallbreaker Abomasnow can 2HKO Audino and Miltank with Focus Blast, however.
**Steel-types**: Certain Steel-types such as Togedemaru, Alolan Dugtrio, and Alolan Sandslash can outspeed Abomasnow and OHKO it with Iron Head, although Alolan Dugtrio does not want to take a +2 Ice Shard. Alolan Sandslash can also take advantage of Abomasnow's hail, even after Abomasnow is KOed. Bronzor is notable, as it resists all of Abomasnow’s attacks except Focus Blast and can take advantage of Abomasnow to set up Stealth Rock, heal off any damage with Rest, or whittle Abomasnow down with Toxic and Psywave. Some bulky Steel-types such as Ferroseed and Probopass can deal with Abomasnow's Choice Scarf set if it is locked into a resisted move, but otherwise they have to watch out for super effective coverage moves. Finally, Metang can take a hit before OHKOing Abomasnow with Meteor Mash or possibly 2HKOing it with Bullet Punch.
**Residual Damage*: Throughout the game, Abomasnow can be worn down by various forms of chip damage such as entry hazards, Toxic poison, and recoil from Life Orb or Wood Hammer. This makes Abomasnow much easier to revenge kill, especially when combined with its mediocre Speed and defenses.
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