Ninetales-Alola 1/3

[OVERVIEW]

* Alolan Ninetales' niche resides in its access to the unique combination of Snow Warning and Aurora Veil, which makes it a decent choice in offensive alike builds, as it support setup sweepers well.
* It has a decent speed stat of 109, allowing it to outspeed offensive staples such as Cobalion, Terrakion, and Hydreigon.
* Its Fairy / Ice typing makes it able to check Fighting-, Dark-, Dragon-, and Flying-types such as Heracross, Krookodile, Hydreigon, and Gliscor, which are really common.
* It also has decent movepool with moves such as Freeze-Dry and Encore, however, it lacks decent options to hit hard Fire- and Steel-types that resist both its STAB moves.
* Unfortunaly, it has a lackluster Special Attack, which makes it not able to bypass walls sometimes.
* Even if it has a good Special Defense stat, its HP and Defense are very low, making it very susceptible to Physical Attackers such as Krookodile and Mega Sharpedo.
* It's Ice typing and being a grouded Pokemon makes Alolan Ninetales vulnerable to entry hazard, making not able to set up Aurora Veil many times throughout the battle.
* It has a very bad matchup against offense staples such as Scizor, Mega Aerodactyl, and Mega Beedrill.

[SET]
name: Aurora Veil Support
move 1: Aurora Veil
move 2: Freeze-Dry
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Moonblast
move 4: Encore / Moonblast
item: Light Clay
ability: Snow Warning
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Aurora Veil is the main purpose of this set, as it is an amazing support move that halves all damage taken by allies, giving Alolan Nintales's teammates more room to setup and attack.
* Freeze-Dry hits super effectively Flying-, Ground-, and Dragon-types such as Togekiss, Gliscor, and Latias, as well as threating bulky Water-type Pokemon, such as Swampert and Primarina, making Alolan Ninetales otherwise walled by them if it doesn't pack Moonblast.
* Hidden Power Fire completes its coverage by being able to hit Steel-types, especially Scizor, Klefki, and Magneton, which can generally take the rest of Alolan Ninetales's moves and threaten it with Steel-type STAB or set up on it.
* Encore locks the foe into the move that they last used, pressuring setup sweepers and allowing you to easily set up Aurora Veil or switch in a Pokemon of your choice, as the foe is forced to switch out.
* Moonblast is a decently powerful STAB move which hits foes that resist Freeze-Dry, and hits Pokemon such as Latias, Hydreigon, and Krookodile harder than with Freeze-Dry.
* Blizzard is Alolan Ninetales's strongest STAB move in hail, but Freeze-Dry is prefered as it is able to hit reliably bulky Water-types.
* Hail is very situationnal, as it can be used to set up more easily Aurora Veil against Hippodown and Ninetales.

Set Details
========

* 252 EVs in Speed with a Timid nature allows Alolan Ninetales to outspeed threats such as Terrakion, Hydreigon, and Infernape, making it able to set up Aurora Veil more easily.
* 252 EVs in Special Attack maximize Alolan Ninetales' damage output.
* Snow Warning does chip damage allows Alolan Ninetales to instantly use Aurora Veil.
* Light Clay increases the duration of Aurora Veil from five turns to eight, giving sweepers a larger window to set up or attack.

Usage Tips
========

* Make sure to pivot in Alolan Ninetales carefully to set Aurora Veil and keep it healthy.
* The best way to bring Alolan Ninetales is to use slow U-Turn and Volt Switch users or after a teammate faints.
* Aurora Veil should also be used carefully when the opponent has a weather setter like Hippodown and Ninetales, as it can make you lose a turn.
* Encore forces out slower Pokemon such as Slowbro, Empoleon, Blissey, and Reuniclus, as well as preventing them from set up.
* Thanks to its good special bulk, Alolan Ninetales can be switched into attackers such as Kyurem, Hydreigon, and Celebi, but fails to tank strong wallbreakers.
* Avoid switching into resisted attacks if Stealth Rock is up, as it can easily be worn down, which prevents Alolan Ninetales from setting Aurora Veil more reliably.

Team Options
========

* As it is weak to Stealth Rock, Alolan Ninetales appreciates having a Rapid Spin or Defog user as a teammate to get rid of entry hazards that are on its side of the field, such as Latias, Starmie, and Mega Blastoise.
* Setup sweepers such as Scizor and Terrakion benefit greatly from Alolan Ninetales's ability to set up Aurora Veil, as it makes it easier for them to grab a boost.
* Magneton traps Steel-types that Alolan Ninetales is weak to, such as Scizor, Cobalion, and Klefki.
* Volt Switch and U-Turn users such as Scizor, Magneton, and Mega Pidgeot can make it easier for Alolan Ninetales to switch-in.
* Fast offensive threats as Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Beedrill, Mega Sharpedo, and Choice Scarf Hydreigon can can threaten faster threats.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Hypnosis can be used over Encore to shut down threats and give free turns, but it lacks accuracy.
* Choice Specs is an option for more firepower to pressure walls, and can as well run Aurora veil to set up it in a pinch, but it is outclassed by other special wallbreakers such as Primarina and Kyurem
* Nasty Plot boosts Alolan Ninetales' Special Attack, which is useful for reducing its reliance on teammates to break through the opposing walls, but it can't afford it and Alolan Ninetales is rather used to support its team.
* Disable is useful against Choice item users and Pokemon that runs few attacks.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Although some of them fear Hidden Power Fire and thus can't switch in safely, if they get a free switch in, Steel-types such as Scizor, Metagross, Cobalion, Mega Aggron, and Magneton can easily force Alolan Ninetales out with their super effective STAB moves, Scizor can even OKHO Alolan ninetales before it sets Aurora Veil with its priority.

**Faster Attackers**: Although Alolan Ninetales Speed is far from horrible, it still leaves it vulnerable to being revenge killed by faster Pokemon such as Mega Beedrill, Mega Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Terrakion.

**Weather inducers**: Alolan Ninetales relies heavily on the rain to back up its stats and to help its teammates, so other weather setters interfere with this strategy. Pokemon like Ninetales and Hippowdon are all examples of opposing weather setters.

**Fire-types**: Offensive Fire-types such as Entei, Volcanion, and Talonflame can switch-in into both Alolan Ninetales' STAB move and threaten Alolan Ninetales out

**Mega Sharpedo**: Although Mega Sharpedo can't switch in safely it outspeeds Alolan Ninetales at +1 and can break through Aurora Veil with Psychic Fangs and deal huge damage.

**Entry Hazards**: Stealth Rock and Spikes can hinder Alolan Ninetales ability to set up Aurora Veil.

**Paralysis**: Paralysis makes Alolan Ninetales not able to set Aurora Veil reliably and unable to outspeed key threats such as Terrakion and Gliscor.
 
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