[OVERVIEW]
Ice
========
Piloswine is one of Ice's best Stealth Rock setters due to its great utility as a specially defensive tank with the Eviolite. With its ability Thick Fat, Piloswine takes neutral damage from Fire-type attacks, allowing it to check Fire-types like Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, Blacephalon, and Volcarona. Piloswine's Ground typing lets it beat powerful offensive Pokemon like Mega Diancie, Gengar, and Tapu Koko. This typing also grants it a neutrality to Rock-type attacks, letting it switch into Nihilego with ease, which is extremely important since Nihilego is one of the biggest threats to Ice teams. Piloswine's solid Attack stat gives it a decent offensive presence, preventing it from being completely passive. Unfortunately, Piloswine is largely susceptible to Knock Off, since without the Eviolite, its Special Defense is very lackluster. It faces competition from Mamoswine as a Stealth Rock setter, which has a higher Attack and Speed stat to make it a more formidable offensive presence. However, when used together, since Piloswine fills the role as a Stealth Rock setter, Mamoswine is free to run a different set such as Choice Scarf to operate as a revenge killer. Piloswine's offensive presence is passable at best, leaving it easily walled by Pokemon such as Skarmory, Mega Venusaur, and Mega Sableye. With no reliable recovery, Piloswine is often worn down very quickly between entry hazards and status.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive Tank (Ice)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Toxic / Roar
item: Eviolite
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Careful
evs: 244 HP / 12 Atk / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock is used to chip away at foes each time they switch in, which is especially helpful in problematic matchups like against Fire and Bug. Earthquake is Piloswine's most powerful STAB move, allowing it to beat Rock- and Fire-types like Nihilego, Torkoal, and Heatran. Rock Slide is important coverage in order to OHKO Fire-types such as Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y. Toxic is an option to wear down bulkier Pokemon like Porygon2, Mega Slowbro, and Torkoal, while Roar can phaze setup sweepers such as Mega Scizor, Mew, and Azumarill.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Special Defense with a Careful nature is used to make Piloswine as specially defensive as possible. 12 EVs in Attack are used to always OHKO Volcarona with Rock Slide. The rest are invested into HP to maximize its overall bulk. Eviolite is used to further increase Piloswine's defenses. Thick Fat grants Piloswine a neutrality to Fire-type attacks, letting it beat Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona.
Usage Tips
========
In most matchups, leading with Piloswine is important to get up Stealth Rock as soon as possible to make threatening the opposing team easier for offensive Pokemon like Kyurem-B and Alolan Sandslash. If a setup sweeper such as Mega Scizor or Azumarill is granted a free switch, using Roar is best to phaze them immediately before they set up. Try switching in Piloswine frequently against special attackers like Nihilego and Tapu Koko; since Piloswine can often force them out, it can take advantage of this by setting up Stealth Rock as they switch. Alternatively, a double switch can also be made into Kyurem-B as a means of threatening the rest of the Poison or Electric team respectively. Avoid Knock Off users, since Piloswine has mediocre bulk without the Eviolite. Avoid status conditions, notably poison and burn, as much as possible, since they will be wearing down Piloswine each turn. Because of this, it's important to keep entry hazards like Toxic Spikes away as often as possible.
Team Options
========
Kyurem-B is a fantastic wallbreaker that can break through Steel-types like Skarmory and Celesteela that wall Piloswine. In return, Piloswine can set up Stealth Rock to allow Kyurem-B to wallbreak more effectively, as well as wear down defensive checks like Porygon2 with Toxic. Alolan Ninetales can set up Aurora Veil to further increase Piloswine's survivability and check threatening Fighting-types like Terrakion and Keldeo. In return, Piloswine can check Fire- and Poison-types like Volcarona, Mega Charizard Y, and Nihilego. Avalugg and Rotom-F can switch into physical attacks for Piloswine, forming an effective defensive core. They also both fill the role of an entry hazard remover to keep Piloswine healthy. Avalugg can switch into Fighting-types like Terrakion and Infernape, while Rotom-F can cripple threatening physical attackers like Mega Scizor with Will-O-Wisp, and pivot with Volt Switch to bring Piloswine in safely. Mamoswine is free to fill the role of a Choice Scarf revenge killer and cleaner to check Knock Off users such as Krookodile and Weavile with Piloswine filling that of a Stealth Rock setter. Cloyster is a great late-game sweeper that appreciates Piloswine's Stealth Rock wearing down opposing teams in order to sweep more effectively. Lapras is capable of checking setup sweepers that have priority such as bulky Mega Scizor and Azumarill and with Water Absorb also offers a Water immunity for Piloswine. Alolan Sandslash is a fast cleaner that can check threatening wallbreakers like Kyurem-B, Landorus, and Victini. It also has access to hazard removal with Rapid Spin in order to keep Piloswine healthy. Weavile can trap Psychic-types like Victini and Latios with Pursuit, as well as remove items with Knock Off. In return, Piloswine can check faster special attackers like Choice Scarf Nihilego and Tapu Koko, which threaten to OHKO Weavile.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice
--------
Stone Edge is an option over Rock Slide for extra power, guaranteeing the OHKO against Mega Charizard Y. However, Rock Slide's consistency is generally more valuable. Icicle Crash is an option as a stronger Ice-type STAB move that has a high chance of OHKOing Gliscor and Landorus-T, as well as 2HKOing Zapdos. However, Rock Slide's important coverage is far more valuable.
Checks and Counters
===================
Ice
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**Fighting-types**: Terrakion, Mega Gallade, and Mega Lopunny threaten to OHKO Piloswine with their Fighting-type STAB moves. However, Terrakion can’t switch into an Earthquake.
**Water-types**: Greninja and Keldeo are able to either 2HKO or OHKO Piloswine with their STAB moves. However, Greninja will take significant damage from an Earthquake due to its frailty.
**Bulky Steel-types**: Defensive Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Celesteela can easily take all of Piloswine's attacks and slowly wear it down.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn can wear down Piloswine and take little damage from all of its attacks.
**Stallbreakers**: Stallbreakers such as Mew and Gliscor can prevent Piloswine from setting up Stealth Rock or phazing with Taunt. Mew, in particular, can also use Will-O-Wisp to burn Piloswine and slowly wear it down. However, Gliscor will have to fear the potential Icicle Crash.
**Knock Off and Trick**: Knock Off users like Weavile and Krookodile can remove Piloswine's Eviolite, reducing its effectiveness as a special tank. Additionally, Trick users like Choice Scarf Latios can remove its Eviolite and at the same time lock it into a single move.
**Residual Damage**: With no reliable recovery, Piloswine is very quickly worn down between status conditions like burn and poison and damage racked up from entry hazards.
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