BSS Alolan Ninetales [QC 1/1][GP 1/1]

[Photon]

Kept this one pretty simple. Let me know if I missed anything!

[SET]
name: Screens Setter
move 1: Aurora Veil
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Encore
move 4: Blizzard / Freeze-Dry / Tera Blast
item: Light Clay
tera type: Water / Fire / Ice
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* With the new Defense-boosting mechanic for Ice-types in snow, Alolan Ninetales is the premier screens setter in the current metagame.

* **Encore**: Encore can thwart bulkier setup opponents who would otherwise take advantage of Alolan Ninetale's medicore offenses.

* **Blizzard versus Freeze-Dry**: Blizzard's high Base Power helps make up for Alolan Ninetale's lack of power. Freeze-Dry is much less powerful but is more consistent at pressuring Water-types like Basculegion and Dondozo.

Tera Types
========

* **Tera Dependency - Low**: Thanks to its high Speed and increased physical bulk in snow, Alolan Ninetales does not normally want to Terastallize. It’s true it can help with Steel-types moves from Scizor and Choice Scarf Gholdengo, but it is often more advisable to play around this weakness through its teammates.

* **Water**: Tera Water is a balanced defensive typing that completely flips Alolan Ninetale's Steel-type weakness, all but guaranteeing it can set Aurora Veil. It also resists Urshifu-R's Surging Strikes--a common counter against screens--though Alolan Ninetales will normally survive it without Terastallizing.

* **Fire**: Tera Fire can be used offensively and defensively against Steel-types, with invested Tera Blast usually OHKOing Scizor and 2HKOing Gholdengo. Do note though that this comes at the cost of having a dramatically worse Urshifu-R matchup.

* **Ice**: Tera Ice lets Alolan Ninetales keep its Defense boost in snow while increasing its offensive output, letting it more consistently 2HKO Dondozo with Freeze-Dry.

Items
========

* **Light Clay**: Light Clay extends Aurora Veil's duration and makes it much harder for the opponent to play around it.

* **Focus Sash**: Focus Sash is good insurance against fast super effective hits, but it's overall less useful in the majority of matchups.

Alternate EV Spread
========

* **36 HP / 212 Def / 4 SpA / 52 SpD / 204 Spe with Timid**: With heavy investment in physical bulk, Alolan Ninetales in snow almost always avoids the OHKO from unboosted Scizor's Bullet Punch and always avoids the OHKO from Ogerpon’s super effective Ivy Cudgel. The Speed investment lets Alolan Ninetales outrun Jolly Garchomp.

[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/photon.516307/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/derpysux.528485/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/

 

[DerpySuX]

I’d also mention that tera water allows ninetales to resist Urshifu-R’s surging strikes, since that’s gonna be most teams’ way of bypassing screens. I know Kai’s promoting custap tales with the bulk investment but I’d wait to see if that actually catches on before adding it here. Overall this looks good to me
QC APPROVED

 

[Photon]

I’d also mention that tera water allows ninetales to resist Urshifu-R’s surging strikes, since that’s gonna be most teams’ way of bypassing screens. I know Kai’s promoting custap tales with the bulk investment but I’d wait to see if that actually catches on before adding it here. Overall this looks good to me
QC APPROVED

I wasn't sure if I should add it since Ninetales-A already survives Surging Strikes before Tera, but a quick mention still seems appropriate.

This is ready for GP.

 

[DerpySuX]

GP Team OwO

 

[Tea Guzzler]

add remove comment (ac) = add comma (rc) = remove comma

Photon, post: 9821225, member: 516307

[SET]
name: Screens Setter
move 1: Aurora Veil
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Encore
move 4: Blizzard / Freeze-Dry / Tera Blast
item: Light Clay
tera type: Water / Fire / Ice
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* With the new Defense-boosting mechanic for Ice-types in snow, Ninetales-A Alolan Ninetales is the premier screen screens setter in the current metagame.

* **Encore**: Encore can thwart bulkier setup opponents who would otherwise abuse Ninetales-A's medicore offenses which would otherwise take advantage of Alolan Ninetales's mediocre offenses.

* **Blizzard versus Freeze-Dry**: Blizzard's high base power Base Power helps make up for Ninetales-A's Alolan Ninetales's lack of power, (rc) and has perfect accuracy in snow. Freeze-Dry is much less powerful but is more consistent at pressuring Water-types like Basculegion and Dondozo.

Tera Types
========

* **Tera Dependency - Low**: Thanks to its high speed Speed and increased physical bulk in snow, Ninetales-A Alolan Ninetales does not normally want to Terastallize. It’s true it can help with faster Steel-types moves from Scizor and Choice Scarf Gholdengo, but it is often more advisable to play around this weakness through its teammates.

* **Water**: Tera Water is a balanced defensive typing that completely flips Ninetales-A's Alolan Ninetales's Steel-type weakness, all but guaranteeing it can set Aurora Veil. It also resists Urshifu-R's Surging Strikes - a common counter against screens - though Ninetales-A Alolan Ninetales will normally survive it without Terastallizing.

* **Fire**: Tera Fire can be used offensively and defensively against Steel-types, with invested Tera Blast usually OHKOing Scizor and 2HKOing Gholdengo. Do note though that this comes at the cost of having a dramatically worse Urshifu-R matchup.

* **Ice**: Tera Ice let's Ninetales-A lets Alolan Ninetales keep its Defense boost in snow while increasing its offensive output, letting it more consistently 2HKO Dondozo with Freeze-Dry.

Items
========

* **Light Clay**: Light Clay extends Aurora Veil's duration and making makes it much harder for the opponent to play around it.

* **Focus Sash**: Focus Sash is good insurance against fast super-effective super effective hits, but it's overall is less useful in the majority of matchups.

Alternate EV Spread
========

* **36 HP / 212 Def / 4 SpA / 52 SpD / 204 Spe with Timid**: With heavy investment in physical bulk, Ninetales-A Alolan Ninetales in snow almost always avoids the OHKO from unboosted Scizor's Bullet Punch and always avoids the OHKO from Ogerpon’s super-effective super effective Ivy Cudgel. The Speed investment let's Ninetales-A lets Alolan Ninetales outrun Jolly Garchomp.

[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/photon.516307/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/derpysux.528485/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/

GP 1/1 GP Team done

 

[Photon]

add remove comment (ac) = add comma (rc) = remove comma

Photon, post: 9821225, member: 516307

[SET]
name: Screens Setter
move 1: Aurora Veil
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Encore
move 4: Blizzard / Freeze-Dry / Tera Blast
item: Light Clay
tera type: Water / Fire / Ice
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* With the new Defense-boosting mechanic for Ice-types in snow, Ninetales-A Alolan Ninetales is the premier screen screens setter in the current metagame.

* **Encore**: Encore can thwart bulkier setup opponents who would otherwise abuse Ninetales-A's medicore offenses which would otherwise take advantage of Alolan Ninetales's mediocre offenses.

* **Blizzard versus Freeze-Dry**: Blizzard's high base power Base Power helps make up for Ninetales-A's Alolan Ninetales's lack of power, (rc) and has perfect accuracy in snow. Freeze-Dry is much less powerful but is more consistent at pressuring Water-types like Basculegion and Dondozo.

Tera Types
========

* **Tera Dependency - Low**: Thanks to its high speed Speed and increased physical bulk in snow, Ninetales-A Alolan Ninetales does not normally want to Terastallize. It’s true it can help with faster Steel-types moves from Scizor and Choice Scarf Gholdengo, but it is often more advisable to play around this weakness through its teammates.

* **Water**: Tera Water is a balanced defensive typing that completely flips Ninetales-A's Alolan Ninetales's Steel-type weakness, all but guaranteeing it can set Aurora Veil. It also resists Urshifu-R's Surging Strikes - a common counter against screens - though Ninetales-A Alolan Ninetales will normally survive it without Terastallizing.

* **Fire**: Tera Fire can be used offensively and defensively against Steel-types, with invested Tera Blast usually OHKOing Scizor and 2HKOing Gholdengo. Do note though that this comes at the cost of having a dramatically worse Urshifu-R matchup.

* **Ice**: Tera Ice let's Ninetales-A lets Alolan Ninetales keep its Defense boost in snow while increasing its offensive output, letting it more consistently 2HKO Dondozo with Freeze-Dry.

Items
========

* **Light Clay**: Light Clay extends Aurora Veil's duration and making makes it much harder for the opponent to play around it.

* **Focus Sash**: Focus Sash is good insurance against fast super-effective super effective hits, but it's overall is less useful in the majority of matchups.

Alternate EV Spread
========

* **36 HP / 212 Def / 4 SpA / 52 SpD / 204 Spe with Timid**: With heavy investment in physical bulk, Ninetales-A Alolan Ninetales in snow almost always avoids the OHKO from unboosted Scizor's Bullet Punch and always avoids the OHKO from Ogerpon’s super-effective super effective Ivy Cudgel. The Speed investment let's Ninetales-A lets Alolan Ninetales outrun Jolly Garchomp.

[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/photon.516307/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/derpysux.528485/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/

GP 1/1 GP Team done

Done, thank you. This is ready for dex.

I do have one question though for future reference: why remove the reference to Blizzard's perfect accuracy in snow? Its an interaction unique to Alolan Ninetales thanks to Snow Warning, where otherwise Blizzard wouldn't be used because of its inconsistency.

 

[DerpySuX]

This is up! I’ll leave the thread here for a little bit just in case someone more informed than myself wants to answer Photon’s question. Though I presume it’s because the blizzard mechanic isn’t specific to ninetales

 

[Tea Guzzler]

Done, thank you. This is ready for dex.

I do have one question though for future reference: why remove the reference to Blizzard's perfect accuracy in snow? Its an interaction unique to Alolan Ninetales thanks to Snow Warning, where otherwise Blizzard wouldn't be used because of its inconsistency.

Things in the analysis that are just dex info (eg. Blizzard having no accuracy check in snow) usually get cut from analyses.