[OVERVIEW]
Alolan Ninetales is an every way outclassed pokemon in the DOU metagame, it lacks offensive power with a mediocre base 81 Special Attack stat, so even if maximizing it, most of the threats it should deal with survive it's attacks and hit back OHKOing Ninetales, some of them are Keldeo, Thundurus-I, Amoongus, and Latios; Still, it's capable of checking certain threats if running a Choice Scarf set, letting it outspeed and OHKO pokemon such as Landorus-T, Hydreigon, Shaymin-Sky, and Mega-Salamence, but other Choice Scarf users totally outclass Alolan Ninetales while the latter only niche over the formers is it's ability Snow Warning that allows it to hit with 100% accuracy Blizzard's, disrupts foes weather, and checking rain teams if good used. Not everything is bad for Alolan Ninetales, it has good Speed tier and a unique niche as a fast hail setter with access to the unique move Aurora Veil, wich on a hail makes the user and it's party members take 66% damage from physical and special attacks for 5 turns (8 if using Light Clay), and a decent support movepool with access to Icy Wind, Encore, Roar, and Disable; Something worth saying about a support set is, that even with it's unique niche, it's seriouly outclassed by every other support pokemon because Ninetales horrible defense typing and general bulk it's easily checked by almost everything that hits hard, or has the capacity to taunt. Alolan Ninetales high speed it's actually a problem when setting up hail, because slower and Mega weather setters, such as Politoed and Charizard-Y, respectively, always put their rain or sun after Ninetales does, so thats makes it an unreliable lead. Thus, Alolan Ninetales doesn't find it's place on a metagame that looks down on hail archetypes, and with so much better Fairy-, and Ice-types, Scarf users, and support pokemon to choose from.
[SET]
Name: Choice Scarf (I decided to not delete this set, but if it's not approved, and thus, disposed, theres an OO seccion already writen if thats the case)
Move 1: Blizzard
Move 2: Moonblast
Move 3: Freeze-Dry
Move 4: Psyshock / Extrasensory / Dark Pulse
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Snow Warning
Nature: Modest
EVs: 92 HP / 252 SpA / 164 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Blizzspam: Its mandatory to run Blizzard, even if it gets damage spread reduction in doubles, its one of the principal and unique niches Alolan Ninetales has.
- Second STAB boosted move: Moonblast is chosen over Dazzling Gleam because the latter suffers the same as Blizzard on doubles and doesn't have enough Base Power for being viable.
- Freeze-Dry: Ninetales non-STAB moves even if super effective aren't capable of KOing almost anything before Ninetales dies, Freeze-Dry hits Water-types very hard OHKO or 2HKOing them, that otherwise wall and set-up on Ninetales.
- Filler: Depends on your team needs, Psyshock and Extrasensory are primary for hitting poison pokemon for some damage, but they do almost the same damage as your primary STAB move on Thick Fat Mega-Venusaur, and does less damage than your Ice-type moves on all other common Grass / Poison types. Meanwhile, Dark Pulse has more flinching chance and overall better coverage along with Fairy- and Ice-type moves than the formers.
Set Details
========
- 164 Speed EVs are enough for outspeeding max invested, base 151 Speed Pokemon like Pheromosa, Deoxys-A, and other common Choice Scarf users such as Adamant Landorus-T.
- An alternative spread is 32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe allows Ninetales outrun Jolly Scarf Landorus-T but takes considerable bulk and Ninetales is already very frail.
- 252 SpA EVs and a Modest nature are mandatory if you actually want to OHKO or 2HKO stuff, the health it's optional, but actually helps Ninetales to survive more neutral hits.
- Max speed investment is not recomended because Ninetales lacks raw power and bulk. There aren't too many max invested, base 95+ Speed, Scarf Pokemon such as Tapu Lele, and outspeeding them doesn't helps in anything. Other pros you can get by maximizing Speed are outspeeding most rain Ludicolo sets under rain, this is very situational but if you feel that 92 HP EVs does nothing, you are able to run it.
Usage Tips
========
- Alolan Ninetales frailty doesn't allow it to stay in the battlefield for too long, so you might be using it for KOing something in it's range and then switching out for keeping it healthy.
- This sets works nice for anti leading and early-game, because most of the pokemon it checks, such as Weavile, Scrafty, Landorus-T, and Shaymin-Sky; but is a lot more consistent when used late-game, without it's checks, and on weakened foes.
- If the opponent is bringing a weather setter pokemon, is almost sure it's going to lead with it, because of Ninetales speed, Snow Warning effects will always be denied by other common weather setters, but if you bring it in via U-turn / Volt Switch, you are alwars getting foes weather down, the other ways to bringing it in is after a teammate faints or predicting a Dragon-type move, you dont want to switch Ninetales into an attack.
- Thanks to Freeze-Dry, Ninetales is capable of OHKOing every Swift Swimer pokemon or dealing very heavy damage on them, but you have to be carefull because under the rain they will almost every time outspeed Ninetales and hit you hard with boosted Water-type moves. Also always OHKOs Pelipper, and 2HKOs the Politoed Rain Setter set after hail damage while Politoed can't do anything about it.
- When bringing in Ninetales for disrupting foes weather be carefull on switching into something that might kill it.
[SET]
Name: HailVeil Support (If this set doesn't gets approved theres an OO seccion already writed for it)
Move 1: Aurora Veil
Move 2: Encore / Disable
Move 3: Blizzard
Move 4: Protect
Item: Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
Nature: Timid
EVs: 236 HP / 20 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Aurora Veil: Allows your team to get an extra bulk for 8 turns reducing in a 66% the damage taken from physical and special attack (Similar to a Reflect + Light Screen).
- Support annoying move: Pretty straight forward, helps to disabling or locking a pokemon into a move.
- Blizzard is the best choice to go with, giving Ninetales some offensive precense and wearing down foes slowly.
- Protect lets Ninetales scout, stall out field conditions and avoid taking an otherwise deadly attack.
Set Details
========
- This set works outside of a hail team archetype, for disrupting foes weather, anoying opponents team, and maybe forcing a switch to position your own team better.
- 20 SpA EVs allow Ninetales to OHKO all non bulky Mega-Salamence sets, while ensuring it gets the kill on threats such as Landorus-T or Shaymin-Sky.
- Light Clay should be run always for getting max potential out of Aurora Veil, remember, if you make to set Aurora Veil, its not going to disappear if hail is taken down.
Usage Tips
========
- Because of it's frailty you dont want to have it in the field too long, after setting up Aurora Veil and maybe annoying a foe, the best choice its to switch out on a teammate that apreciates the extra bulk, and its capable to set up, like Substitute, Dragon Dance, or Calm Mind users.
- Ninetales damage output is very poor to anything it doesn't hit super effective, so it's a better choice to posibly force a foe to switch out via Encore / Disable than dealing almost no damage with Blizzard.
- When bringing in Ninetales for disrupting foes weather be carefull on switching into something that might kill it.
Team Options (Works for both sets)
========
- Heatran is Alolan Ninetales partner of choice, it has nice bulk, walls everything aimed into it with the posibility of getting a Flash Fire boost, and also punishes all of it's check and counters, while Ninetales it's capable of doing the same for Heatran, and even annoying foes rain teams that really cripple Heatran down.
- Other Steel and Poison checks that apreciates Ninetales Blizzard coverage, and deal with oposite Rock- and Fire-types such as Aegislash, Excadrill, or Landorus-T while the former it's able to run U-turn.
- U-turn and Volt Switch users are mandatory if you want to get full potential out of Ninetales, Landorus-T is the obvious and strongest choice, but Genesect also resist Poison- and Steel-types, deals better against oposite Fairy-types and it can make use of Snow Warning for spaming Blizzard. Slow Volt Switch's such as Rotom-W are the better ones to get Ninetales in the field.
- Some Electric-types make good company with Ninetales, forming a BoltBeam offensive. Thundurus-I can speed control the foes through Thunder Wave and Taunt; While Mega-Manectric does a better use of Volt Switch, has Fire coverage on Flamethrower / Overheat, apreciates a lot strong spread moves such as Blizzard, and Intimidates opponent physical attackers.
- Revenge Killers / Priority users / Fake Out: Ninetales can deal lots of damage on the pokemon that checks, but also mosts of them can survive in a veil of health; A pokemon capable of getting this kills with ease it's also a good Ninetales partner.
- Redirecting moves users such as Amoonguss also works nice for giving Ninetales extra longevity, allowing it to get Aurora Veil with more ease.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Icy Wind can be used to slow down foes on the support set, but it comes with the downsight of having to replace either your annoying move or Protect, and both of this options only do the set to work worst.
- Roar can also be run, as stops bulky foes for setting Trick Room, or using Ninetales as settup fodder, it does good in battle, but you will have to replace either Protect or one of your annoying moves.
- Ice Beam can be used as a replacing for Blizzard on the Scarf set for OHKOing some specific sets such as Assault Vest Landorus-T, but then you are taking away one of Ninetales main niches on 100% accurate Blizzards.
- A Choice Scarf offensive set can be run to check better the thing its actually capable to OHKO, and for bringing the posibility to check rain teams if good used. Still this is not recomended because Ninetales raw power its just bad. (Because all the times i have being told to dispose this set i just writed this OO if that set doesn't gets approved)
- A non Choice Scarf set can be used, but this means you are not going to outspeed most of the things you want to check and doing so will make of Ninetaels a very weak and frail support rellying on Encore or Disable to annoy and Aurora Veil to help it's teammates, a role that every other support on the meta does better without rellying on hail to support, wich may result on a lost teamslot and dead weight for the rest of the match. (This OO its optional if the HailVeil Support set gets approved or not)
===================
**Steel-types**: Wichever Steel-type move will OHKO Ninetales with ease while the latter cannot do anything to answer back, including very common threats such as Aegislash, Jirachi or Heatran; or even the lesser common, Bullet Punch users can get Ninetails to faint.
**Poison-types**: They dont hit 4x effectivenes, but still, every viable pokemon in the meta, with a Poison-type move will OHKO Ninetales, being Gengar the most common one.
**Fire-types**: Most notably Charizard-Y summons the sun and starts spaming Heat Wave and Ninetales can't do anything against it.
**Bulky pokemon**: Even with access to Encore and Disable, some bulkier pokemon such as Sylveon can switch into Ninetales and use it as a settup fodder.
**Faster threats**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Lele can get a kill with ease on Ninetales because of it's frailty.
**Oposing weather**: Even while it's role is to disrupt foes weather, other weather summoning mons can lead or switch in and prevent Ninetales for checking common threats with Blizzard.
**Speed control**: Trick Room, Tailwind, and Thunder Wave, all cripple Ninetales and prevent it from doing it's job.
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