An attempt at a viable OU hail team.

[Wilson]

The title says it all.

This is my first serious OU team and I've been going decently with it, though it definitely needs some work. It can be really hard to cover all the facets of a good hail stall team with only 6 pokemon and that may be the largest weakness of this team. Most of these sets are standard and plucked right off the smogon strategy pokedex...im terrible at EV's.

From now on my grammar won't be so bad.

The Team - At A Glance

@ Leftovers
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 HP/76 Spd/84 SAtk/96 SDef
Sassy nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Blizzard
- Grass Knot
- Wood Hammer
- Protect

My lead, and obviously the most important Pokémon on the team. Abomasnow does more than just set up hail, of course. I find him a reasonably good counter to most suicide leads, as quite often they don't expect him to actually stay in and attack and Blizzard is often an OHKO, particularly against Aerodactyl (2HKO on Azelf and I can Protect the Explosion that usually follows).

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@ Leftovers
Ability: Ice Body
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/6 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Protect
- Substitute
- Roar
- Toxic

The "other" star of the team. This is your standard Stallrein set, but it truly works wonders. Walrein can easily come in on his excellent defenses and from there can generally wreak havoc. He's somewhat weak to status but he can generally avoid them using subs. I've been debating Toxic versus Blizzard for a while but I think Toxic compliments his role as a staller better and helps him against Leftover users.

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@ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Blizzard
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Thunderbolt

A truly excellent special wall, especially in a hail environment. Regice doesn't care about special attackers in the slightest and with Blizzard under his belt has the power to get rid of most of them as well. Rest and Sleep Talk increase his longevity enormously. I used to use Blissey in this place but I think Regice is much more efficient especially considering how well he works with Walrein.

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@ Leftovers
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dynamicpunch
- Stone Edge
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

My main attacker and a great counter to Tyranitar who has the power to royally fuck up this team. Dynamicpunch is sex, and that's the best description I can give to it. This guy can come in on a surprising amount of stuff and can be a huge pain for the opponent to get rid of, especially with Gliscor backing him up (you'll see that later). I've been thinking about putting a Choice Band on him because I rarely actually use Rest and I could use the extra type coverage.

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@ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP/120 Def/136 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Surf
- Toxic Spikes
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin

Another "wall" who compliments the weaknesses of the rest of my team very well. Toxic Spikes is also useful, particularly in combination with Walrein's Roar. Rapid Spin is mostly for Stealth Rocks which my team is largely weak to.

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@ Leftovers
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP/40 Atk/216 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Roost
- Earthquake
- Baton Pass

This works with the rest of my non-Ice team. Swords Dance is largely for Machamp, who likes it a lot. Its typing compliments Tentacruel's well and it's no slouch either. An overall good Pokémon, and its Ice weakness is pretty much nullified by the fact that 3 of my 6 Pokémon resist it.

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Threat List

Tyranitar - Machamp counters just about every set. If Machamp is down, Gliscor is also a decent counter.

Scizor - Tentacruel doesn't care about most of his moves. Machamp can come in usually and Gliscor also is relatively unaffected by most sets.

Gyarados - Walrein, Regice, and Machamp all have resistances to Gyarados's common moves. I generally switch in Machamp and use Stone Edge, though Regice's Thunderbolt is useful as well.

Infernape - Tentacruel resists its STABs and takes little damage from Grass Knot. Surf is a 2HKO and I can set up Toxic Spikes if it switches out as well.

Azelf - Abomasnow generally can get rid of suicide leads if only for its surprise factor. Otherwise Regice is a reliable wall.

Heatran - Tentacruel walls most of its moves unless it's using Earth Power, which Tentacruel most definitely does not like. A well predicted Heatran does not make me a happy person.

Electivire - Considering I have very few Electric type attacks, Electivire doesn't have many opportunities to switch in. Machamp doesn't care about most of its attacks.

Celebi - Regice walls this extremely well.

Alakazam - This is probably my team's chief weakness. For a Specs set I'm almost always going to lose a Poke to him unless I'm outpredicting him which is very troublesome. I need to think of a counter to this guy.

Heracross - Gliscor is pretty much unaffected by most of this guy's movepool, and can set up Swords Dances while doing so.

Salamence - Regice is a fairly good counter to the mixed sets, though I do have problems with this guy, if only for his amazing versatility. Machamp can come in on most physical sets and threaten with Stone Edge. Regice can wall the special sets after its used Draco Meteor, but I usually have to sacrifice a Pokémon so Regice can actually come in.

Aerodactyl - Between an unpredicted Abomasnow Blizzard and Machamp, Aerodactyl can't do much.

Togekiss - Tentacruel walls it fairly reliably, though this Pokémon is troublesome.

Gengar - Regice and Tentacruel wall this fairly reliably. However, it can be hard to tell if he carries Thunderbolt of Focus Blast. However, the combination of Regice and Tentacruel usually keeps him at bay, though I'll sometime lose one of them to him.

Rotom Forms - These guys are sometimes a pain in the ass, but Regice walls every form except the toaster efficiently and Machamp's Stone Edge is not their favorite move.

Lucario - Machamp takes almost all of his moves in stride and respons in an OHKO with Dynamicpunch.

Starmie - Regice walls this one fantastically. Starmie really has very little to do damage to it, and Regice can respond with a very damaging Thunderbolt.

Weavile - Tentacruel is generally the best choice against Weavile. If my Tentacruel is down, though, Walrein doesn't take much damage from any of its moves bar a Swords Danced Brick Break.

Dugtrio - This is more or less a counter-Pokemon, and I really don't have much on my team which he's meant to counter.

Porygon-Z - Regice is my best counter to him. My team is somewhat weak to this guy, though.

Kingdra - This guy can be bad for my team, especially since he usually packs Rain Dance. My best option is Regice, who only has to worry about Draco Meteor on a special set, but if Kingdra can break Regice he might be in position to sweep my team.

Machamp - This guy can be tough. My best counter is probably Gliscor or my own Machamp if the opponent's is damaged, but my team also has trouble taking him down, considering I have no ghost types to absorb his STAB Dynamicpunch.

Snorlax - Machamp gets rid of him efficiently, and Walrein stalls him to death in most cases.

Zapdos - Regice walls all its moves except for Overheat. Still, Overheat is a common move and Zapdos can be troublesome to my team. However, Blizzard fairly reliably takes him down before he can cause too much trouble.

Suicune - Walrein can usually stall him out. Machamp can generally fuck him up with Dynamicpunch.

Breloom - Gliscor is probably my best counter to Breloom, and considering Machamp doesn't care about sleep he can generally come in on it too.

Ninjask - Walrein walls it 100% and can pseudo-haze whatever it brings out. Hail also screws it up.

Jirachi - I haven't seen a set that actually gives my Gliscor trouble. In the meantime, Glis can respond with EQ or set up and pass or sweep.

Dragonite - Dragonite doesn't do much to either Walrein or Regice depending on whether it's special or physical. Walrein can stall it to death and Regice can hit it with an OHKO Blizzard.

Mamoswine - Walrein can come in on every attack it uses except Superpower (which I rarely see) and stall it to death. In the case of Superpower, Machamp can usually come in and OHKO with Dynamicpunch.

Yanmega - Tentacruel is a reliable switch, and can set up or damage Yanmega back with Surf.


The far majority of defensive threats are handled by Walrein, who can stall almost all of them to death.

 

[Orion]

I saw this other Hail-team the other day, where the player wasn't using Abomasnow as the lead, and I thought that that's a brilliant idea. As it is now, only Walrein needs Hail in order to work properly, while the rest is better without, really (except for the move Blizzard, obviously). Saving Abomasnow for later also keeps the "secret" that you're using a Hail team, preventing the opponent from firing off Close Combats and Stone Edges everywhere.

However, it is very true that Abomasnow makes a great lead. I am not agreeing with your set, tho. For the second time rating a Hail team, I will quote myself:

For Abomasnow to take on both Tyranitar and Hippowdon, you want Blizzard as well as Wood Hammer. You'll also need Life Orb in order to kill both. With a Naughty Nature and 240 Attack / 124 SpAtt, you OHKO both of them with WH/Blizzard respectively. You then have 144 Speed EVs left, which gives you 192 Speed. You will with that Speed outspeed most Tyranitars, but not the ones with 140 Speed EVs or more. Also remember that since Abomasnow has a lower Base Speed than Tyranitar in the first place, you will need Scarf to be guaranteed to outrun all non-Scarfed Tars.
CB-Tars, which are most common today, rarely goes to more than 84 Speed EVs, so you outrun them, at least.
You can, obviously, run a Scarf, but then you won't get the kill on neither of the Sandstreamers.

Most Tyranitars these days are Banded with only 84 Speed EVs, meaning you move first, and OHKO with Woodhammer. An easy way to know if you're the fastest is to see which weather stays; the slower Pokémons weather stays. Then, Hippowdon has to bite the dust as well. Since you're most likely faster than both of them, you can kill off their Sandstreamers quickly, and then come back in later to set up everlasting Hail!

I also don't think there's a need for two SleepTalkers here. I also don't fancy Regice in particular; it always falls short of Blissey in terms of walling. It doesn't assist Walrein in any particular way either, as they share a lot of weaknesses.

Machamp is very cool, and don't use CB. In order to effectively counter Tyranitar you will need SleepTalk, ensuring you live a long and healthy life. Sleep Talk also doesn't cut a moves PP, meaning if you choose Dynamicpunch in your Sleep, you won't use your precious 8 PP.

With Toxic Spikes-support from Tentacruel, the need for Toxic is low on Walrein. Walrein with Roar and Blizzard gives a lot of teams a lot of problems, and Blizzard is a powerful and reliable STAB-move in Hail, so you should give it that.

On Gliscor, I would give it a walling set. Baton Pass is, as you said, only for Machamp actually, and Machamp isn't fast enough or has the coverage needed to Sweep, meaning you just have to switch out afterwards anyway, when they send in their Cresselia or Celebi. If you use Roost / Stealth Rock / Earthquake / Taunt or Stone Edge, that greatly benefits your team. Stealth Rock + Toxic Spikes + Hail means the opponent will have to take a large number of residual damage each turn, and combine that with the most effective and annoying staller in the game, and you win!
Taunt is also a very cool move for hindering Skarmory, Forretress and Hippowdon switch-ins setting up on you, but Stone Edge hurts fliers, like Gyarados and Salamence.

If you add a defensive Heatran over Regice, I think that will benefit you more than Regice does. It gives you an immediate Fire-resist, more reliable than Tentacruel, and it also gives great resistances altogether. It can also kill the Ice and Steels that resist your Blizzards, and since Scizor can prove to be a problem, Heatran takes care of that as well.

@Leftovers
248 HP / 56 SpA / 204 SpD
[Modest]
- Lava Plume/Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Lava Plume is handy in burning Gyarados 30% of the time, but it may hinder your Toxistalling some times, and therefore Flamethrower can be a better option, as it also is more powerful. This Heatran will live very long, and is very hard to bring down unless you're name is Vaporeon or you have a STAB Earthquake. I also know I advised against having two SleepTalkers, but this Heatran is a beast, and I also don't think Machamp should be without it, so therefore you shouldn't change. IMO.

 

[Wilson]

Wow, thanks Orion. I'm wondering about your advise on changing my lead, though. What do you think I should switch to my lead? I'm definitely changing my Regice to the Heatran, and the other changes you suggested, but I'm wondering if I should keep leading with Abomasnow or something else.

But this is seriously some of the best advice I've received on these forums. Thanks.

 

[Orion]

Well, actually, I kinda contradicted myself (twice, in fact xD). Basically, my idea was that you should use my suggested Abomasnow-set as a lead, which I think he does quite well, but if you didn't want to use that set, you should go for a different lead, and save Abomasnow for later. The Sassy set is very good, and it does let you get up Hail instead of Sandstorm ruining your fun, but in the long run, you'll benefit more from eliminating Hippo and Tar, and securing your everlasting Hail later on. Also, remember to never get reckless with Abomasnow, so that you can constantly get Hail up and running.

Since you seem to still be using Aboma in front though, just ignore that about having a different lead.