SM PU Abomasnow Offensive Hail Team

[ExoGrim]

Import of the team

Abomasnow @ Life Orb
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard

Sandslash-Alola @ Icium Z
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Iron Head

Regirock @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Drain Punch
- Toxic

Skuntank @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Defog
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab

Jellicent @ Choice Specs
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Water Spout
- Hydro Pump
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam

Dodrio @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Jump Kick
- Return
- Knock Off

This is meant to be a simple hail team that uses Abomasnow and Offensive A-Sandslash to tear through teams.

Abomasnow: On top of being the weather setter for this team, Abomasnow acts as a mixed wallbreaker. Ice Shard helps revenge low health targets, with Blizzard and Giga Drain stab to break walls (Giga Drain also being used to help increase Abomasnow's staying power.) EQ is there as coverage and as a strong physical attack.

Alolan-Sandslash: The Hail abuser and primary set up sweeper for this team, with Swords Dance. Duel Stab from Icicle Crash and Iron Head allow Sandslash to hit many pokemon in PU for neutral damage... with EQ coverage to deal with pokemon Steel + Ice cannot. Icium Z is used to OHKO pokemon that a Hail boosted Icicle Crash would otherwise fail to.

Regirock: Regirock is a physically bulky rock setter who fits well into this team thanks to him checking many pokemon that would threaten the Abomasnow\Sandslash core. Stone Edge is stab... with Drain Punch over EQ so that Regirock can stay on the field for longer (and with Ground type coverage already being taken care of). Toxic is there to help chip away at bulkier mons and help Abomasnow and Jellicent break teams.

Skuntank: Skunktank is the defogger for this team, using Rocky Helmet with Aftermath to help check physical attackers. Pursuit helps keep offensive pressure on the psychic and ghost types in the tier with Sucker Punch priority and Poison jab to fill out the set (allowing Skuntank to hit Fairies and potential poison something coming in).

Jellicent: Jellicent uses Choice Specs to help break alongside Abomasnow. Water Spout tears through teams (with Hydro Pump for when Jellicent gets low) and Shadow Ball + Ice Beam allows Jellicent to hit a vast majority of the meta game. Ice Beam also benefits from Hail is up.

Dodrio: Options for a Choice Scarfer were a bit limited for this team... but I decided on Scarf Dodrio to help deal with the Fighting Types that give hail teams some trouble. Dodrio, being on the faster pokemon in PU, can outspeed and revenge kill most threats with Brave Bird, Return and Jump Kick. Knock off helps support the team by removing key items from the enemy team's mons.

 

[ShuckleDeath]

Hello ExoGrim,

Nice to see you continue and try to improve your teambuilding skills through the the use of the Rate My Team section of Smogon. I see improvement with this team as well, not really seeing too many flaws. I feel you are very weak to Gurdurr which is a Pokemon every Hail team should account for as the core of Alolan Sandslash plus a Hail setter folds to it off the bat. Dodrio looks like a nice check to it but after a single Bulk Up Gurdurr easily beats choice Scarf Dodrio one on one. Jellicent is your best check but it is not super reliable against Gurdurr itself, unfortunately. Hitmonchan is also a bit of a menace to the team, but is much easier to handle. You also Struggle against Rock-types like Lycanroc, but I think all these weaknesses can be remedied without to much hassle. I also think some coverage moves can be changed to help break things like Ferroseed a bit better, which is also not a hard fix, so all and all a pretty good effort here.

Set Changes:

Set

Abomasnow @ Life Orb
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Earthquake --> Focus Blast
- Ice Shard

Focus Blast is used to hit Ferroseed and Normal-types like Munchlax and Ferroseed harder. It also OHKO's opposing Alolan Sandslash for a OHKO which can be helpful as you are slightly weak to opposing Alolan Sandslash. Your team looks a bit more like Hail balance then Hail offense so I would suggest keeping Giga Drain over Wood Hammer, Wood Hammer could be used to lure in Munchlax which helps Alolan Sandslash, but I don't think it's common enough to make it be worth it, and with your team being more balanced I think you want the increased longevity.

Set

Sandslash-Alola @ Icium Z
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Iron Head --> Rapid Spin

Iron Head hits Regirock slightly harder then Earthquake but isn't really worth it. Rapid Spin helps keep hazards off your side of the field pretty decently when paired with Defog from Skuntank. Keeping hazards at bay really benefits your team twofold, as you do not rely on hazards yourself and you have several Stealth Rock weak Pokemon. This is easy role compression for your team.

Set

Skuntank @ Rocky Helmet --> Black Sludge
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly --> Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Pursuit --> Dark Pulse
- Sucker Punch --> Fire Blast
- Poison Jab -->Taunt

This set Defogs better on Ferroseed and Alolan Sandslash better which really benifits your team. This set also deals with Sableye much better then the physical set, which is super nice because it checks Alolan Sandslash and Choice Scarf Dodrio rather well. Taunt is used so Sableye can not Recover off damage it sustains and it can also be used to force out Qwilfish. Black Sludge helps keep some longevity on Skuntank, but definatly has room for exploration, like putting Rocky Helment back on or switching up your Z move.

Pokemon Changes:

--->

Set

Mudsdale @ Iapapa Berry
Ability: Stamina
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Rock Slide

Mudsdale helps with Rock-type Pokemon better and also helps against Electric-type Pokemon, which could Volt Switch around on your team with out much hasssle. Mudsdale also patches up Hitmonchan which could have been a big menace to your team. I think Rock Slide is better then protect here just for the ability to hit opposing Choice Scarf Dodrio, which revenge kills a good portion of your team. I think you deal with other Flying-types decently enough between Abomasnow and Alolan Sandslash.

--->

Set

Oricorio-Pom-Pom @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Dancer
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Calm Mind
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

Jellicent was the most expendable member as you have another wallbreaker in Abomasnow. This patches up your Gurdurr weakness pretty well, which is the main reason you would want this on the team. Victreebel and other checks I feel were a bit harder to fit on the team so Oricorio-Pom-Pom seemes like the best fit for this team. Rocky Helmet gets a bit of damage on U-turn users like Primeape and also chips Gurdurr a bit when it uses Knock Off. I actually tried Taunt here for the Stall matchup, but lost to a specially defensive Alolan Sandslash so i think Hidden Power Fighting is the better option, as Aloloan Sandslash is more common then full stall teams.

Team Changes <-- Click for Importable.

 

[ExoGrim]

Hello ExoGrim,

Nice to see you continue and try to improve your teambuilding skills through the the use of the Rate My Team section of Smogon. I see improvement with this team as well, not really seeing too many flaws. I feel you are very weak to Gurdurr which is a Pokemon every Hail team should account for as the core of Alolan Sandslash plus a Hail setter folds to it off the bat. Dodrio looks like a nice check to it but after a single Bulk Up Gurdurr easily beats choice Scarf Dodrio one on one. Jellicent is your best check but it is not super reliable against Gurdurr itself, unfortunately. Hitmonchan is also a bit of a menace to the team, but is much easier to handle. You also Struggle against Rock-types like Lycanroc, but I think all these weaknesses can be remedied without to much hassle. I also think some coverage moves can be changed to help break things like Ferroseed a bit better, which is also not a hard fix, so all and all a pretty good effort here.

Set Changes:

Set

Abomasnow @ Life Orb
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Earthquake --> Focus Blast
- Ice Shard

Focus Blast is used to hit Ferroseed and Normal-types like Munchlax and Ferroseed harder. It also OHKO's opposing Alolan Sandslash for a OHKO which can be helpful as you are slightly weak to opposing Alolan Sandslash. Your team looks a bit more like Hail balance then Hail offense so I would suggest keeping Giga Drain over Wood Hammer, Wood Hammer could be used to lure in Munchlax which helps Alolan Sandslash, but I don't think it's common enough to make it be worth it, and with your team being more balanced I think you want the increased longevity.

Set

Sandslash-Alola @ Icium Z
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Iron Head --> Rapid Spin

Iron Head hits Regirock slightly harder then Earthquake but isn't really worth it. Rapid Spin helps keep hazards off your side of the field pretty decently when paired with Defog from Skuntank. Keeping hazards at bay really benefits your team twofold, as you do not rely on hazards yourself and you have several Stealth Rock weak Pokemon. This is easy role compression for your team.

Set

Skuntank @ Rocky Helmet --> Black Sludge
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly --> Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Pursuit --> Dark Pulse
- Sucker Punch --> Fire Blast
- Poison Jab -->Taunt

This set Defogs better on Ferroseed and Alolan Sandslash better which really benifits your team. This set also deals with Sableye much better then the physical set, which is super nice because it checks Alolan Sandslash and Choice Scarf Dodrio rather well. Taunt is used so Sableye can not Recover off damage it sustains and it can also be used to force out Qwilfish. Black Sludge helps keep some longevity on Skuntank, but definatly has room for exploration, like putting Rocky Helment back on or switching up your Z move.

Pokemon Changes:

--->

Set

Mudsdale @ Iapapa Berry
Ability: Stamina
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Rock Slide

Mudsdale helps with Rock-type Pokemon better and also helps against Electric-type Pokemon, which could Volt Switch around on your team with out much hasssle. Mudsdale also patches up Hitmonchan which could have been a big menace to your team. I think Rock Slide is better then protect here just for the ability to hit opposing Choice Scarf Dodrio, which revenge kills a good portion of your team. I think you deal with other Flying-types decently enough between Abomasnow and Alolan Sandslash.

--->

Set

Oricorio-Pom-Pom @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Dancer
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Calm Mind
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

Jellicent was the most expendable member as you have another wallbreaker in Abomasnow. This patches up your Gurdurr weakness pretty well, which is the main reason you would want this on the team. Victreebel and other checks I feel were a bit harder to fit on the team so Oricorio-Pom-Pom seemes like the best fit for this team. Rocky Helmet gets a bit of damage on U-turn users like Primeape and also chips Gurdurr a bit when it uses Knock Off. I actually tried Taunt here for the Stall matchup, but lost to a specially defensive Alolan Sandslash so i think Hidden Power Fighting is the better option, as Aloloan Sandslash is more common then full stall teams.

Team Changes <-- Click for Importable.

glad to hear I've been getting better (considering how many changes that had to be made with my first team I ever submitted here lol)