UU Mega Abomasnow

ehT

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Mega Abomasnow

[QC:3/3] A Cake Wearing A Hat / Hilomilo / Kreme
[GP:2/2] A Cake Wearing A Hat / marthaa

[OVERVIEW]

Mega Abomasnow is a frightening anti-metagame wallbreaker thanks to its synergetic offensive typing, great mixed attacking stats, access to Swords Dance, and helpful coverage options in Earthquake and Hidden Power Fire. These traits together make it very difficult to switch into and a massive threat to bulky teams, as defensive cores have great trouble standing up to it once it has set up. It's no pushover versus offensive teams, either, as it offers good support through chip damage from its ability, Snow Warning, and ability to pick off weakened threats with STAB Ice Shard. That said, Mega Abomasnow's horrible defensive typing makes it easy to pressure offensively with the many types it is weak to, making it tricky to use in the face of offensive staples like Infernape, Cobalion, and Scizor, and very reliant on prediction to do meaningful damage versus offense. Its Speed drops from a usable base 60 to an abysmal base 30 upon Mega Evolving, so it must be heavily invested in to stand up to slower defensive threats like Mega Aggron and Alolan Muk. This compromises the decent defensive utility afforded by its bulk and resistances to Water, Ground, and Electric and makes its offense matchup quite tough, as even with investment, its Speed is somewhat useless versus offensive teams. This also means Mega Abomasnow fails to check faster offensive Water-types that it'd love to be able to threaten, like Azumarill, Mega Sharpedo, and Mega Blastoise. Mega Abomasnow is also vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards and weak to Stealth Rock, making it easy to wear down with passive damage. Lastly, Mega Abomasnow faces heavy competition from the tier's other offensive Grass- and Ice-types and struggles to set itself apart from Serperior, Mega Sceptile, and Mamoswine, which are far less high-maintenance due to their higher Speed stats and lack of Stealth Rock weakness. All of these setbacks make Mega Abomasnow heavily reliant on very specific team support and greatly restricts the types of teams it can fit on.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Seed Bomb / Wood Hammer
move 4: Earthquake
item: Abomasite
ability: Soundproof
nature: Adamant
evs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Swords Dance allows Mega Abomasnow to set up and plow through bulkier teams. Ice Shard is obligatory, as it gives Mega Abomasnow a priority STAB move to circumvent its bad Speed and pick off weakened threats such as Mega Altaria, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Pidgeot, and Latias. It also allows Mega Abomasnow to act as a potential late-game cleaner. Seed Bomb is Mega Abomasnow's most powerful drawback-free physical Grass-type STAB attack, and it breaks through most non-resistant physical walls at +2 after Stealth Rock. Wood Hammer is far stronger than Seed Bomb, but it cuts considerably into Mega Abomasnow's already shaky staying power due to its 33% recoil and is therefore only recommended if your team is desperate to break through Water- and Ground-types. This is made worse by the high HP of the bulky Pokemon Mega Abomasnow is intended to target, such as Alomomola, Blissey, and Hippowdon. Earthquake gives Mega Abomasnow the ability to hit Steel- and Fire-types, which resist its STAB combination, notably 2HKOing Mega Steelix and Mega Aggron at +2.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature allows Mega Abomasnow to be as strong as possible and serve its role as a wallbreaker. 164 EVs allow Mega Abomasnow to outspeed Alolan Muk and threaten it with a boosted Earthquake without worrying about being eliminated by a Poison-type move. The rest of the EVs are put into HP to give Abomasnow some much-needed bulk investment to survive stray hits, which is key for such a slow Pokemon. Soundproof is the pre-Mega ability of choice, as it allows Abomasnow to come in on Sylveon completely for free. Snow Warning prior to Mega Evolving is hardly ever necessary, since it gains Snow Warning upon Mega Evolving anyway.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Abomasnow is a massive threat to defensive teams and should be preserved versus balance and stall teams until it's given an optimal time to set up. Versus offense, take care of Mega Abomasnow's offensive checks, such as Cobalion, Infernape, and Chandelure, before setting up, as it will otherwise be easily revenge killed. Set up Stealth Rock as early as possible to quickly put Mega Abomasnow's checks into KO range of a boosted attack. Use Water-types, Ground-types, and special walls as setup fodder, as Mega Abomasnow forces them out, giving it a free turn. If this isn't possible and you don't feel Ice Shard will be useful late-game, feel free to spam attacks early-game to get off as much damage as you can before Mega Abomasnow goes down. Hold off on Mega Evolving if the opponent has a Pokemon that Abomasnow outspeeds but Mega Abomasnow doesn't so it can outspeed them if need be. Not Mega Evolving immediately can be helpful versus opposing Sylveon lacking Hidden Power Fire, as Abomasnow can come in on it for free and use it as setup fodder. Predict potential switch-ins early-game so Mega Abomasnow can weaken Pokemon like Klefki and Mega Aggron for itself and break through them later. Due to how easily Mega Abomasnow is worn down by status, chip damage, and entry hazards, it should rarely be brought in directly, even against Pokemon it threatens. Generally, it should only be brought in on a double switch, a slow Volt Switch or U-turn, or after a teammate is KOed. Keep entry hazards off the field as often as possible, as this enables Abomasnow to come in without taking unnecessary damage and set up more easily.

Team Options
========

Mega Abomasnow's laundry list of weaknesses calls for specific forms of team support to compensate for them while maximizing its wallbreaking abilities. Checks to Fire-, Fighting-, and Steel-types are an absolute must, making bulky Water-types prime candidates for a teammate. Alomomola is an absurdly bulky pivot that can comfortably handle most Fire-, Steel-, and Fighting-types, chip down foes with Scald and Toxic, and heal Mega Abomasnow up with Wish or Healing Wish. Tentacruel and Mantine provide much-needed entry hazard removal with Rapid Spin and Defog, respectively, letting Mega Abomasnow come in without worrying about hazards; Tentacruel can also set up Toxic Spikes, making it very good at switching into and wearing down some of Mega Abomasnow's best checks. Azumarill acts as a more offensive option in this role, threatening Fire- and Fighting-types with its STAB combination while also capitalizing on much of the same team support as Mega Abomasnow, giving them good offensive synergy as slow wallbreakers. Speed control in the form of a Choice Scarf user is necessary to keep offensive pressure off of Mega Abomasnow and clean up late-game after opposing teams have been weakened. Choice Scarf Infernape is very proficient at keeping opposing Steel-types in check and can bring Mega Abomasnow in with U-turn after forcing them out. Choice Scarf Latias is provides useful resistances to Fire and Fighting as well an excellent support move in Healing Wish, which gives you the option to play Mega Abomasnow much more recklessly and heal it back up later. Volt Switch and U-turn users can pivot out on Water-, Ground-, and Dragon-types that Mega Abomasnow threatens and bring it in for free. Magneton is notable for its ability to trap Steel-types and can be paired alongside Alomomola holding an Eject Button to trap opposing Scizor virtually for free, making it worth the compounded Fire weakness.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Wood Hammer / Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Earthquake
item: Abomasite
ability: Soundproof
nature: Rash
evs: 112 HP / 232 SpA / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Blizzard is the attack Mega Abomasnow should use most of the time, as its low accuracy is negated by hail, and it is excellent at wearing down most foes with its raw power and hail damage. Wood Hammer is necessary as a physical Grass-type STAB move over Seed Bomb, since the lack of Attack investment means Mega Abomasnow isn't very immediately threatening otherwise. This extra damage is worth Wood Hammer's recoil effect, as it is guaranteed to 2HKO Blissey after Stealth Rock and hail damage and 2HKO standard Hippowdon without having to rely on Blizzard's shaky accuracy in sand. Giga Drain can be used over Wood Hammer to capitalize on this set's Special Attack investment, be more threatening to physical walls, and provide Mega Abomasnow with a much-needed form of recovery. Energy Ball can also be used, however, if you're more concerned about dishing out as much damage as possible. Opting for a special Grass-type STAB attack over Wood Hammer has the added benefit of letting Mega Abomasnow pose a more consistent threat to Water-types using Scald, since such sets aren't afraid of burns. Ice Shard is necessary despite the lack of Attack investment to allow Mega Abomasnow to act as an an offensive check to Dragon- and Flying-types, most of which can heavily damage if not outright OHKO it if they're allowed to go first. Hidden Power Fire gives Mega Abomasnow the ability to damage Steel-types, with a decent chance to OHKO defensive Scizor after Stealth Rock and hail damage, making it better than any of its other coverage options. Earthquake can be used over Hidden Power Fire if hitting Scizor isn't as big of a concern, as it still does decent damage to most other Steel-types and gives Abomasnow the ability to hit Fire-types.


Set Details
========
112 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to avoid being OHKOed from attacks such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon's Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock and Crobat's Brave Bird from full HP. It also gives Abomasnow a decent chance to survive Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch. 164 Speed EVs allow Abomasnow to outspeed Alolan Muk. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Attack to make Abomasnow's special moves as powerful as possible. Soundproof is the chosen pre-Mega ability, as it lets pre-Mega Abomasnow wall Sylveon lacking Hidden Power Fire and therefore allows Mega Abomasnow to more easily place heavy pressure on balance teams.

Usage Tips
========

This set is geared towards spamming attacks and wearing foes down with hail damage. Mega Abomasnow should use Blizzard the majority of the time, and it has the luxury of easy prediction versus Ice-resistant Pokemon due to how powerful Blizzard is. Ice Shard is rather weak due to the lack of Attack investment, so it cannot be used to revenge kill reliably; it should still be used to revenge kill Mega Sceptile, Latias, and other Ice-weak offensive threats, however. For this reason, Mega Abomasnow should be paired alongside a consistent revenge killer to keep fast threats in check. Though not ideal, feel free to use this set somewhat recklessly, switching it into Water- and Ground-types and letting it take hazard damage, as chances to simply fire off a Blizzard or Wood Hammer are fairly common. Soundproof allows Abomasnow to come in on Sylveon thanks to its immunity to Hyper Voice. This is valuable because it makes Sylveon, a balance staple, a near liability versus Abomasnow, a massive threat to balance teams, as long as it doesn't Mega Evolve.

Team Options
========

Mega Abomasnow should be paired alongside physical wallbreakers that check Fire-, Steel-, and Rock-types and appreciate its ability to wear down physical walls, such as Terrakion, Azumarill, and Infernape. Bulky Water-types make for excellent defensive partners to Mega Abomasnow, since they resist Fire and Steel and are generally capable of checking Fighting-types by virtue of their bulk or secondary typing. Tentacruel is notable because it can remove hazards with Rapid Spin and wear foes down with Toxic Spikes. Alomomola is one of the bulkiest Pokemon in the tier and can help negate Mega Abomasnow's longevity issues with Wish and Healing Wish. Swampert shuts down momentum versus VoltTurn teams with its physical bulk and immunity to Electric, which is valuable to the balance and bulky offense teams Mega Abomasnow finds itself on due to how easily VoltTurn teams can gain and maintain momentum versus them. Entry hazard removal is necessary to keep Mega Abomasnow healthy throughout the game. Togekiss and Tentacruel are both proficient at this and also resist Fighting. Volt Switch and U-turn users can bring Mega Abomasnow in safely; Magneton is exceptional at this because it traps Steel-types, by far the biggest defensive obstacle to Mega Abomasnow, with Magnet Pull. Choice Scarf Hydreigon is notable because it has U-turn, can check faster Pokemon, and can pivot in on Fire-types like Chandelure and Volcanion.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
========

A fully special set utilizing Blizzard / Giga Drain / Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast makes Mega Abomasnow a more direct threat to physical walls. However, the lack of Ice Shard neuters its revenge killing capabilities, making it much weaker to offense, and the lack of a physical move makes it much weaker to special walls, rendering its ability to core break moot. Growth can be used over a coverage move on the mixed set to make its special attacks much stronger and power up its rather weak Ice Shard, but Mega Abomasnow is generally much better off spamming as many unboosted attacks as possible. Ice Punch is Mega Abomasnow's most powerful physical Ice-type STAB attack, but it comes at the cost of either priority or coverage, meaning it is much weaker either to offense or to Steel-types. Leech Seed gives Mega Abomasnow a decent source of recovery that it otherwise sorely lacks while letting it gain chip damage on switch-ins, but it loses out on coverage, and is generally inferior to doing direct damage anyway.

Checks and Counters
========

**Fire-types and Fire-type coverage**: Mega Abomasnow's 4x weakness to Fire makes it extremely vulnerable to the likes of Infernape, Volcanion, and Entei. They take heavy damage from Earthquake, though, and are quickly chipped down by hail damage and entry hazards, so it's not hard for Mega Abomasnow to outlast them. Many Pokemon in the metagame, such as Serperior and Mega Sceptile, will often run Hidden Power Fire as well, making it tough for Mega Abomasnow to set up without being heavily damaged.

**Fighting-types**: Every relevant Fighting-type in the tier outspeeds and OHKOes Mega Abomasnow with their STAB moves, meaning it is forced out by the likes of Terrakion, Cobalion, and Heracross, though none of them can comfortably switch in.

**Steel-types**: Though they must watch out for Hidden Power Fire and Earthquake, Steel-types resist Mega Abomasnow's STAB combination and typically have the bulk to do so consistently, meaning Mega Abomasnow must either predict them to switch in or rely on a teammate to eliminate them before it can properly sweep or wallbreak. Scizor is one of the most common Pokemon in the tier and by far one of the biggest thorns in its side, since it can use the free turn it gets forcing out Mega Abomasnow lacking Hidden Power Fire to set up or use U-turn.

**Faster Ice-resistant Pokemon**: Mega Abomasnow's best bet versus faster offensive threats is Ice Shard, but its low Speed makes it overly reliant on the move and thus vulnerable to Pokemon such as Mega Sharpedo, Azumarill, and Mamoswine, making them viable offensive checks that can outspeed and KO Mega Abomasnow after some chip damage.

**Entry Hazards, Status, and Chip Damage**: Mega Abomasnow is vulnerable to all forms entry hazards and weak to Stealth Rock; this, alongside its abysmal Speed, causes it to be easily worn down throughout the game. All forms of status prove to be a massive nuisance to it for this reason: poison puts it on a timer, greatly limiting the turns it is able to do work, paralysis allows walls Mega Abomasnow would otherwise outspeed to attack or heal up on it, and burn neuters its physical attacking power entirely. This is again made worse by Mega Abomasnow's extremely low Speed, as it is commonly forced to take an attack or a status move as it sets up.
 
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amcheck, I would recommend not implementing any of this until a QC member checks over it

Overview
  • What coverage options does Mega Abomasnow have?
  • Mention that upon Mega Evolution, Abomasnow loses a lot of its Speed, which makes it even weaker to offense teams than it already is.
  • I would mention somewhere in the overview that, while Mega Abomasnow does have a pretty bad defensive typing, there are a couple of resistances that it can make use of, like Water, Ground, and Electric, which can allow it to soft check mons like Starmie, Mamoswine, Mega Sharpedo, etc.
(Swords Dance) Moves
  • Mention a couple of faster threats that are weak to Ice Shard; Mega Aerodactyl, Togekiss, and Mega Altaria are some good ones.
Team Options
  • In the last line, mention a couple of hazard removers.
Mixed Attacker Team Options
  • I don't think Feraligatr is the best option that you could have mentioned here, since it doesn't see too much usage and whatnot. Infernape is actually a good example here.
  • In the last line you mentioned Volt-Turn and only mentioned Volt Switch users, which sounds a bit odd, so I'd mention U-turn users like Hydreigon and Scizor here too, in particular Scarf Hydreigon which can help with Mega Abomasnow's susceptibility to offensive teams.
Checks and Counters
  • In Steel-types, give some examples of Steel-types that give it trouble.
This was a masterful write and it there were almost no mistakes throughout this that I could see. Amazing work.
 

A Cake Wearing A Hat

moist and crusty
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Community Leader
amcheck, I would recommend not implementing any of this until a QC member checks over it

Overview
  • What coverage options does Mega Abomasnow have?
  • Mention that upon Mega Evolution, Abomasnow loses a lot of its Speed, which makes it even weaker to offense teams than it already is.
  • I would mention somewhere in the overview that, while Mega Abomasnow does have a pretty bad defensive typing, there are a couple of resistances that it can make use of, like Water, Ground, and Electric, which can allow it to soft check mons like Starmie, Mamoswine, Mega Sharpedo, etc. (said earlier in the overview that it fails to accurately check mega sharpedo)
(Swords Dance) Moves
  • Mention a couple of faster threats that are weak to Ice Shard; Mega Aerodactyl, Togekiss, and Mega Altaria are some good ones.
Team Options
  • In the last line, mention a couple of hazard removers.
Mixed Attacker Team Options
  • I don't think Feraligatr is the best option that you could have mentioned here, since it doesn't see too much usage and whatnot. Infernape is actually a good example here.
  • In the last line you mentioned Volt-Turn and only mentioned Volt Switch users, which sounds a bit odd, so I'd mention U-turn users like Hydreigon and Scizor here too, in particular Scarf Hydreigon which can help with Mega Abomasnow's susceptibility to offensive teams.
Checks and Counters
  • In Steel-types, give some examples of Steel-types that give it trouble.
This was a masterful write and it there were almost no mistakes throughout this that I could see. Amazing work.
implement this, comments for Nuked in bold

SD

make sure to state that Wood Hammer makes KOing Blissey nearly KO you as well since that's one of the primary reasons seed bomb is run. Also, mention some KOs wood hammer obtains over seed bomb.

add one fire-type example for the eq line

Mention the disadvantage of using HP fire (being walled by fire-types)

add examples of hazard removers in that point in team options

Mixed
Throughout this set you cross-reference SD a decent amount. Since sets are meant to be read independently of one another please reword the parts of the analysis that do cross-reference SD (eg instances of "again" or "this set" used in a compare/contrast manner).
Mention that Giga Drain also provides abomasnow with some recovery.

Add examples of Ice Shard targets.

Since you mentioned "alternative coverage options" to HP fire in set details, you may want to list EQ here just as a mention.

Considering Wood Hammer is the primary slash for grass STAB on this set (which i'm personally ehh on but i'll let the other QC members give their take on that) add a tag specifying that the grass STAB being strengthened by max spA investment is eball/giga drain and not wood hammer.

Remove the mention of Growth in Usage tips since that's an oo set.

mention soundproof in usage tips

Checks and Counters

In the last point, elaborate more on its weakness to status effects since you don't actually directly mention them at all outside of the title.

1/3
 
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Hilomilo

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Overview
*'Abomasnow's horrible defensive typing makes it easy to pressure offensively with the many types it is weak to, making it tricky to use in the face of offensive Fire-, Fighting-, Steel-, and Rock-types, and very reliant on prediction to do meaningful damage versus offense.'

I'd focus less on its weaknesses to the aforementioned types and instead bring up weaknesses to common Pokemon in the tier. Infernape, Scizor, and Cobalion are all decent options.

* Defensive Scizor has fallen off a lot, so I'd find a better example.
* Try elaborating as to why exactly Mega Abomasnow faces competition from Pokemon that share its type.

Set: Swords Dance
Set Details
* 'It also allows Abomasnow to survive Heavy Slam from Mega Steelix from full HP and beat it one on one if at +2.' - this makes it sound kind of like a naive nature boosts defense when in this case, it's used merely so as not to decrease it. If you can try making it a little clearer that it can ease the Mega Steelix matchup in keeping its physical bulk.

Usage Tips
* Say when you talk about coming in on Sylveon that Abomasnow should be wary of getting caught with Hidden Power Fire, which otherwise invalidates its setup capabilities.
* Say here that if Mega Abomasnow is looking to sweep in the late-game, it should absolutely only try doing so upon the removal of offensive checks like Infernape, Cobalion, and Chandelure as otherwise it'll just be revenge killed.

Team Options
* This looks great overall, though I'd add in some examples of entry hazard setters. Say that with Stealth Rock or Spikes support Mega Abomasnow is more capable of muscling past checks and punishing its switches.

Set: Mixed Attacker
Moves
* Consider deslashing Energy Ball from the set and only mentioning it as an option in the moves section. Giga Drain's provided recovery is often too good to pass up if you're trying for a Grass-type special move, and EBall's extra power can be nice but also doesn't get too many notable KOs.
* Give some examples of Fire-type Earthquake targets.

Set Details
* 'as well as OHKO or 2HKO most bulky Water-types with your Grass STAB.' - modify this portion of the line a little just to reflect that you'll KO bulky Waters if running a special grass move. Bit of a nitpick, but it just kind of bugged me considering Wood Hammer is the main Grass-type slash.
* Give a more relevant example than defensive Scizor.
* Mega Abomasnow isn't running a boosting move on this set, why would it be able to set up on Sylveon?

Team Options
* I wouldn't exactly classify Azumarill as a fast physical wallbreaker, so consider finding a more suitable example.
* Replace the Seismitoad example with Swampert.
* You could also say in talking about Hydreigon that it can come in on Fire-types like Chandelure and Volcanion for Mega Abomasnow.

Checks and Counters
* You never talk specifically about Fire-type coverage in your section that has 'Fire-type coverage' in its name, so I'd elaborate there and talk about Pokemon like Serperior and Sylveon being capable of carrying Hidden Power Fire to nail Mega Abomasnow with.
* Replace the Infernape example in the Fighting-type section with Heracross, only because you already have Infernape mention in Fire-types.

This looked great, solid read. QC 2/3 when this is all implemented
 
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Kreme

You might be right but you're not correct.
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Swords Dance
  • 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe w/ Adamant should probably be the spread here. I get that being outsped by Alomomola and some other stuff sucks but the power loss is rly meh especially on a Pokemon like this. For example: At +2 you actually don't even have a good chance of OHKOing Hydreigon w/ Jolly lol. The current spread outspeeds up to AloMuk
Set Details
  • Make sure it reflects the above change.
Mixed Attacker
  • 112 HP / 232 SpA / 164 Spe w/ Rash should probably be the spread on Mixed Attacker. HP survives a Draco from Scarf Drei after Rocks, a Brave Bird from non-Sky Plate Crobat from full and also has a decent chance to not get OHKOed by CB Sciz Bullet Punch.
Set Details
  • Make sure it reflects above change.
Checks and Counters
  • In the "Faster Pokemon that Resist Ice" section change all the examples and the description. Basically, all the examples listed fit into other sections so aren't too great here. Only examples I can really think of that fit into this section but not others are fast Waters and Mamoswine. Both of which need some prior damage so I'd mention how Abomasnow is threatened by them, but only after a bit of chip damage.
3/3
 
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A Cake Wearing A Hat

moist and crusty
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Mega
[OVERVIEW]

Mega Abomasnow is a frightening anti-meta wallbreaker thanks to its synergetic offensive typing, great mixed attacking stats, access to Swords Dance, and helpful coverage options in Earthquake and Hidden Power Fire. These traits together make it very difficult to switch in to, (RC) into and a massive threat to bulky teams, as defensive cores have great trouble standing up to it once it has set up. It's no pushover versus offensive teams, either, as it offers good support through chip damage from its ability, Snow Warning, and ability to pick off weakened threats with its rare STAB Ice Shard. That said, Mega Abomasnow's horrible defensive typing makes it easy to pressure offensively with the many types it is weak to, making it tricky to use in the face of offensive staples like Infernape, Cobalion, and Scizor, and very reliant on prediction to do meaningful damage versus offense. Its Speed drops from a usable base 60 to an abysmal base 30 upon Mega Evolving, so it must be fully invested in to outspeed key defensive threats like Alomomola, Blissey, and Scizor lacking Speed investment. (fix this so it doesn't conflict with the new spread) This compromises the decent defensive utility afforded by its bulk and resistances to Water, Ground, and Electric and makes its offense matchup quite tough, as even with investment its Speed is somewhat(stated earlier that mega abomasnow is not useless vs offense) useless versus offensive teams. This also means Mega Abomasnow fails to check faster offensive Water-types that it'd love to be able to threaten, like Azumarill, Mega Sharpedo, and Mega Blastoise. Mega Abomasnow is also vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards and weak to Stealth Rock, making it easy to wear down with passive damage. Lastly, Mega Abomasnow faces heavy competition from the tier's other offensive Grass- and Ice-types, and struggles to set itself apart from Mamoswine, Serperior, and Mega Sceptile, which are far less high-maintenance due to their higher Speed stats and lack of Stealth Rock weakness. All of these setbacks make Mega Abomasnow heavily reliant on very specific team support, and greatly restricts the types of teams it can fit on.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Seed Bomb / Wood Hammer
move 4: Earthquake
item: Abomasite
ability: Soundproof
nature: Adamant
evs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Swords Dance allows Mega Abomasnow to set up and wallbreak, allowing it to plow through bulkier teams. Ice Shard is obligatory, as it gives Mega Abomasnow a priority STAB move to circumvent its bad Speed and pick off weakened threats such as Mega Altaria, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Pidgeot, and Latias. It also allows Mega Abomasnow to act as a potential late-game cleaner. Seed Bomb is Mega Abomasnow's most powerful drawback-free physical Grass-type STAB attack, and it breaks through most non-resistant physical walls at +2 after Stealth Rock. Wood Hammer is far stronger than Seed Bomb, but it cuts considerably into Mega Abomasnow's already shaky staying power due to its 33% recoil, (RC) and is therefore only recommended if your team is desperate to break through Water- and Ground-types. This is made worse by the high HP of the bulky Pokemon Mega Abomasnow is intended to target, such as Alomomola, Blissey, and Hippowdon. Earthquake gives Mega Abomasnow the ability to hit Steel- and Fire-types, which resist its STAB combination, notably 2HKOing Mega Steelix and Mega Aggron at +2.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature allows Mega Abomasnow to be as strong as possible, (RC) and serve its role as a wallbreaker. 164 Speed allows EVs allow Mega Abomasnow to outspeed Alolan Muk, (RC) meaning it and threaten it with a boosted Earthquake without worrying about being outpsed and eliminated by a Poison move. The rest is put into HP to give Mega Abomasnow some much-needed bulk investment to live stray hits, which is key for such a slow Pokemon. Soundproof is the pre-Mega ability of choice, as it allows Abomasnow to come in on Sylveon completely for free. Snow Warning prior to Mega Evolving is rarely, if ever hardly ever necessary, since it gains Snow Warning upon Mega Evolving anyway.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Abomasnow is a massive threat to defensive teams, and should be preserved versus balance and stall teams until it's given an optimal time to set up. Versus offense, take care of Mega Abomasnow's offensive checks, such as Cobalion, Infernape, and Chandelure, before setting up, as it will otherwise be easily revenge killed. Set up Stealth Rock as early as possible to quickly put Mega Abomasnow's checks into KO range of a boosted attack. Use Water-types, Ground-types, and special walls as setup fodder, as Mega Abomasnow forces them out, giving it a free turn. If this isn't possible, and you don't feel Ice Shard will be useful late-game, feel free to spam attacks early-game to get off as much damage as you can before Mega Abomasnow goes down. Hold off on Mega Evolving if the opponent has a Pokemon that regular Abomasnow outspeeds but Mega Abomasnow doesn't, so it can outspeed them if need be. Preserving Soundproof as your ability is Not Mega Evolving immediately can be helpful versus opposing Sylveon lacking Hidden Power Fire, as Abomasnow can come in on it for free and use it as setup fodder. Predict potential switch-ins early in the game early-game so Mega Abomasnow can weaken Pokemon like Klefki and Mega Aggron for itself and break through them later. Due to how easily Mega Abomasnow is worn down by status, chip damage, and entry hazards, it should rarely be brought in directly, even against Pokemon it threatens. Generally, it should only be brought in on a double switch, a slow Volt Switch or U-turn, or after a teammate is KOed. Keep entry hazards off the field as often as possible, as this frees up Mega Abomasnow to come in without taking unnecessary damage and set up more easily.

Team Options
========

Mega Abomasnow's laundry list of weaknesses calls for specific forms of team support to compensate for them while maximizing its wallbreaking abilities. Checks to Fire-, Fighting-, and Steel-types are an absolute must, making bulky Water-types prime candidates for a teammate. Alomomola is an absurdly bulky pivot that can comfortably handle most Fire-, Steel-, and Fighting-types, chip down foes with Scald and Toxic, and heal Mega Abomasnow up with Wish or Healing Wish. Tentacruel and Mantine provide much-needed hazard removal with Rapid Spin and Defog, respectively, letting Mega Abomasnow come in without worrying about entry hazards. Azumarill acts as a more offensive option in this role, threatening Fire- and Fighting-types with its STAB combination while also capitalizing on much of the same team support as Mega Abomasnow, giving them good offensive synergy as slow wallbreakers. Speed control in the form of a Choice Scarf user is necessary to keep offensive pressure off of Mega Abomasnow, as well as clean up late-game after opposing teams have been weakened by it. Choice Scarf Infernape is very proficient at keeping opposing Steel-types in check, (RC) and can bring Mega Abomasnow in after forcing them out with U-turn. Choice Scarf Latias is provides useful resistances to Fire and Fighting as well an excellent support move in Healing Wish, which gives you the option to play Mega Abomasnow much more recklessly and heal it back up later. Volt Switch and U-turn users can pivot out on Water-, Ground-, and Dragon-types that Mega Abomasnow threatens and bring it in for free. Magneton is notable for its ability to trap Steel-types, and can be paired alongside Alomomola holding an Eject Button to trap opposing Scizor virtually for free, making it worth the compounded Fire weakness. Hazard control is necessary to get the most out of Mega Abomasnow, as it is vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards and weak to Stealth Rock. This frees it up to come in as many times as possible without fearing residual damage. Tentacruel is particularly helpful in this regard since because on top of its access to Rapid Spin, it resists Fire and Fighting and can set Toxic Spikes, making it very good at switching in to into and wearing down some of Mega Abomasnow's best checks.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Wood Hammer / Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Earthquake
item: Abomasite
ability: Soundproof
nature: Rash
evs: 112 HP / 232 SpA / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Blizzard is the attack you'll be spamming Mega Abomasnow should use most of the time, as its low accuracy is negated by hail, and it is excellent at wearing down most foes between its raw power and hail damage. Wood Hammer is necessary as a physical Grass STAB over Seed Bomb, since the lack of Attack investment or Swords Dance means you aren't as means Mega Abomasnow isn't very (avoiding cross-referencing) immediately threatening otherwise. This extra damage is worth Wood Hammer's recoil effect, as it is guaranteed to 2HKO Blissey after Stealth Rock and hail damage, as well as 2HKO standard Hippowdon without having to rely on Blizzard in sand. Giga Drain can be used over Wood Hammer to capitalize on this set's Special Attack investment, be more threatening to physical walls, and provide Mega Abomasnow with a much needed form of recovery. Energy Ball can also be used, however, if you're more concerned about dishing out as much damage as possible. Opting for a special Grass-type STAB attack over Wood Hammer has the added benefit of posing letting Mega Abomasnow pose a more consistent threat to Water-types using Scald, since such sets aren't afraid of burns. Ice Shard is necessary despite the lack of Attack investment to allow Mega Abomasnow to act as an an offensive check to Dragon- and Flying-types, most of which can heavily damage, if not outright OHKO it if they're allowed to go first. Hidden Power Fire gives Mega Abomasnow the ability to damage Steel-types, and it has a decent chance to OHKO defensive Scizor after Stealth Rock and hail damage, making it better than any of its other coverage options. Earthquake can be used over Hidden Power Fire if hitting Scizor isn't as big of a concern, as it still does decent damage to most other Steel-types and gives Mega Abomasnow the ability to hit Fire-types.


Set Details
========
112 HP EV's allows EVs allow Mega Abomasnow to live key hits versus offensive threats, (RC) avoid being OHKOed from attacks such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon's Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock and Crobat's Brave Bird from full HP. It also gives Mega Abomasnow a decent chance to live Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch. 164 Speed allows EVs allow Mega Abomasnow to outspeed Alolan Muk. The rest is dumped into Special Attack to make Mega Abomasnow's special attacks as powerful as possible. Soundproof is the chosen pre-Mega ability, (AC) as it lets pre-Mega Abomasnow wall Sylveon lacking Hidden Power Fire, (RC) a staple on the balance teams this set poses the biggest threat to, (RC) and therefore lets Abomasnow more easily place heavy pressure it on balance teams.

Usage Tips
========

Due to the lack of a setup move, this This set is more geared towards spamming attacks and wearing foes down with hail damage than outright core breaking. (don't cross reference sets) This set should be spamming Mega Abomasnow should use Blizzard the majority of the time, and it has the luxury of easy prediction versus Ice-resistant Pokemon due to how powerful Blizzard is. This set's Ice Shard is rather weak due to the lack of Attack investment, so it's much less reliable as a revenge killer, but is nevertheless important it cannot be used to revenge kill reliably; it should still be used to revenge kill Mega Sceptile, Latias, and other Ice-weak offensive threats, (AC) however. For this reason, it should be paired alongside a consistent revenge killer to keep fast threats in check. Though not ideal, feel free to use this set more somewhat recklessly, switching it in on Water- and Ground-types and letting it take hazard damage, as chances to simply fire off a Blizzard or Wood Hammer are much more common than chances to set up fairly common. Regular Abomasnow's base 60 Speed is valuable for checking other slow wallbreakers like Crawdaunt or Primarina, so hold off on Mega Evolving until you need the extra damage or are confident they aren't a threat. (sentence no longer applies thanks to new slower spread) Soundproof allows Abomasnow to come in on Sylveon thanks to its immunity to Hyper Voice. This is valuable because it makes Sylveon, a balance staple, a near liability versus Abomasnow, a massive threat to balance teams, as long as it doesn't Mega Evolve.

Team Options
========

This set Mega Abomasnow should be paired alongside physical wallbreakers that check Fire-, Steel-, and Rock-types and appreciates Abomasnow's appreciate its ability to wear down physical walls, such as Terrakion, Azumarill, or and Infernape. Bulky Water-types make for excellent defensive partners to Mega Abomasnow, since they resist Fire and Steel, (RC) and are generally capable of checking Fighting-types by virtue of their bulk or secondary typing. Tentacruel its notable for its ability to because it can remove hazards via with Rapid Spin and wear foes down with Toxic Spikes. Alomomola is one of the bulkiest Pokemon in the tier and can help negate Mega Abomasnow's longevity issues with Wish and Healing Wish. Swampert shuts down momentum versus VolTurn VoltTurn teams with its physical bulk and immunity to Electric, which is valuable to the balance and bulky offense teams Mega Abomasnow finds itself on due to how easily VolTurn VoltTurn teams can gain and maintain momentum versus them. Entry hazard removal is necessary to keep Mega Abomasnow healthy throughout the game. Togekiss and Tentacruel are both proficient at this, (RC) while also resisting and also resist Fighting. VolTurn strategies are useful for bringing Abomasnow in for free, as it prevents it from taking unnecessary damage as it comes in. Volt Switch and U-turn users can bring Mega Abomasnow in safely; Magneton is exceptional at this, (RC) since because (subjective but better flow) it traps Steel-types, by far the biggest defensive obstacle to Mega Abomasnow, with Magnet Pull. Choice Scarf Hydreigon is notable because it acts as a much needed form of speed control that, (RC) on top of its access to U-turn, has a valuable resistance to Fire that allows it to has U-turn, can check faster Pokemon, and can pivot in on Pokemon Fire-types like Chandelure and Volcanion.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
========

A fully special set utilizing Blizzard / Giga Drain / Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast makes Mega Abomasnow a more direct threat to physical walls, (RC) but. (AP) However, the lack of Ice Shard neuters its revenge killing capabilities, making it much weaker to offense, while and the lack of a physical move makes it much weaker to special walls, rendering its ability to core break moot. Growth can be used over a coverage move on the mixed set to make its special attacks much stronger as well as and power up its rather weak Ice Shard, but it is generally much better off spamming as many unboosted attacks as possible. Ice Punch is Mega Abomasnow's most powerful physical Ice-type STAB attack, but it comes at the cost of either priority or coverage, meaning it is much weaker either to offense or to Steel-types. Leech Seed gives Mega Abomasnow a decent source of recovery that it otherwise sorely lacks while letting it gain chip damage on switch-ins, but you lose it loses out on coverage, (RC) and Abomasnow is generally better off doing direct damage anyway.

Checks and Counters
========

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Mega Abomasnow's 4x weakness to Fire makes it extremely vulnerable to the likes of Infernape, Volcanion, and Entei. They take heavy damage from Earthquake, though, and are quickly chipped down by hail damage and entry hazards, so it's not hard for Mega Abomasnow to outlast them. Many Pokemon in the metagame, such as Serperior and Sylveon, will often run Hidden Power Fire as well, making it tough for Mega Abomasnow to put in work without being heavily damaged.

**Fighting-types**: Every relevant Fighting-type (AH) in the tier outspeeds and OHKO's OHKOes Mega Abomasnow with their STAB moves, meaning it is forced out by the likes of Terrakion, Cobalion, and Heracross, though none of them can comfortably switch in.

**Steel-types**: Though they must watch out for Hidden Power Fire and Earthquake, Steel-types resist Mega Abomasnow's STAB combination and typically have the bulk to do so consistently, meaning Mega Abomasnow must either predict them to switch in or rely on a teammate to eliminate them before it can properly sweep or wallbreak.

**Faster Ice-resistant Pokemon That Resist Ice**: Mega Abomasnow's best bet versus faster offensive threats is Ice Shard, but its low Speed makes it overly reliant on the move, and thus vulnerable to Pokemon such as Mega Sharpedo, Azumarill, and Mamoswine, making them viable offensive checks that can outspeed and KO Mega Abomasnow after some chip damage.

**Entry Hazards, Status, and Chip Damage**: Mega Abomasnow is vulnerable to all forms entry hazards and weak to Stealth Rock, (RC) which, alongside its abysmal Speed, makes it very difficult to keep healthy; (ASC) this, alongside its abysmal Speed, causes it to be easily worn down throughout the game. All forms of status prove to be a massive nuisance to it for this reason: poison puts it on a timer, greatly limiting the turns it is able to do work, paralysis allows walls Mega Abomasnow would otherwise outspeed to attack or heal up on it, and burn neuters its physical attacking power entirely. This is again made worse by Mega Abomasnow's extremely low Speed, as it is commonly forced to take an attack or a status move as it sets up.

Mega/2
 

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GP 2/2
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[OVERVIEW]

Mega Abomasnow is a frightening anti-metagame wallbreaker thanks to its synergetic offensive typing, great mixed attacking stats, access to Swords Dance, and helpful coverage options in Earthquake and Hidden Power Fire. These traits together make it very difficult to switch into and a massive threat to bulky teams, as defensive cores have great trouble standing up to it once it has set up. It's no pushover versus offensive teams, either, as it offers good support through chip damage from its ability, Snow Warning, and ability to pick off weakened threats with its rare STAB Ice Shard. (by saying rare you kinda are implying that it's not commonly run on aboma which isn't true) That said, Mega Abomasnow's horrible defensive typing makes it easy to pressure offensively with the many types it is weak to, making it tricky to use in the face of offensive staples like Infernape, Cobalion, and Scizor, and very reliant on prediction to do meaningful damage versus offense. Its Speed drops from a usable base 60 to an abysmal base 30 upon Mega Evolving, so it must be heavily invested in to stand up to slower defensive threats like Mega Aggron and Alolan Muk. This compromises the decent defensive utility afforded by its bulk and resistances to Water, Ground, and Electric and makes its offense matchup quite tough, as even with investment, (AC) its Speed is somewhat useless versus offensive teams. This also means Mega Abomasnow fails to check faster offensive Water-types that it'd love to be able to threaten, like Azumarill, Mega Sharpedo, and Mega Blastoise. Mega Abomasnow is also vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards and weak to Stealth Rock, making it easy to wear down with passive damage. Lastly, Mega Abomasnow faces heavy competition from the tier's other offensive Grass- and Ice-types, (RC) and struggles to set itself apart from Mamoswine, Serperior, and Mega Sceptile, and Mamoswine, which are far less high-maintenance due to their higher Speed stats and lack of Stealth Rock weakness. All of these setbacks make Mega Abomasnow heavily reliant on very specific team support, (RC) and greatly restricts the types of teams it can fit on.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Seed Bomb / Wood Hammer
move 4: Earthquake
item: Abomasite
ability: Soundproof
nature: Adamant
evs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Swords Dance allows Mega Abomasnow to set up and plow through bulkier teams. Ice Shard is obligatory, as it gives Mega Abomasnow a priority STAB move to circumvent its bad Speed and pick off weakened threats such as Mega Altaria, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Pidgeot, and Latias. It also allows Mega Abomasnow to act as a potential late-game cleaner. Seed Bomb is Mega Abomasnow's most powerful drawback-free physical Grass-type STAB attack, and it breaks through most non-resistant physical walls at +2 after Stealth Rock. Wood Hammer is far stronger than Seed Bomb, but it cuts considerably into Mega Abomasnow's already shaky staying power due to its 33% recoil and is therefore only recommended if your team is desperate to break through Water- and Ground-types. This is made worse by the high HP of the bulky Pokemon Mega Abomasnow is intended to target, such as Alomomola, Blissey, and Hippowdon. Earthquake gives Mega Abomasnow the ability to hit Steel- and Fire-types, which resist its STAB combination, notably 2HKOing Mega Steelix and Mega Aggron at +2.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature allows Mega Abomasnow to be as strong as possible, (RC) and serve its role as a wallbreaker. 164 EVs allow Mega Abomasnow to outspeed Alolan Muk and threaten it with a boosted Earthquake without worrying about being eliminated by a Poison-type move. The rest of the EVs are is put into HP to give Abomasnow some much-needed bulk investment to live survive stray hits, which is key for such a slow Pokemon. Soundproof is the pre-Mega ability of choice, as it allows Abomasnow to come in on Sylveon completely for free. Snow Warning prior to Mega Evolving is hardly ever necessary, since it gains Snow Warning upon Mega Evolving anyway.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Abomasnow is a massive threat to defensive teams, (RC) and should be preserved versus balance and stall teams until it's given an optimal time to set up. Versus offense, take care of Mega Abomasnow's offensive checks, such as Cobalion, Infernape, and Chandelure, before setting up, as it will otherwise be easily revenge killed. Set up Stealth Rock as early as possible to quickly put Mega Abomasnow's checks into KO range of a boosted attack. Use Water-types, Ground-types, and special walls as setup fodder, as Mega Abomasnow forces them out, giving it a free turn. If this isn't possible, (RC) and you don't feel Ice Shard will be useful late-game, feel free to spam attacks early-game to get off as much damage as you can before Mega Abomasnow goes down. Hold off on Mega Evolving if the opponent has a Pokemon that Abomasnow outspeeds but Mega Abomasnow doesn't, (RC) so it can outspeed them if need be. Not Mega Evolving immediately can be helpful versus opposing Sylveon lacking Hidden Power Fire, as Abomasnow can come in on it for free and use it as setup fodder. Predict potential switch-ins early-game so Mega Abomasnow can weaken Pokemon like Klefki and Mega Aggron for itself and break through them later. Due to how easily Mega Abomasnow is worn down by status, chip damage, and entry hazards, it should rarely be brought in directly, even against Pokemon it threatens. Generally, it should only be brought in on a double switch, a slow Volt Switch or U-turn, or after a teammate is KOed. Keep entry hazards off the field as often as possible, as this frees up enables Abomasnow to come in without taking unnecessary damage and set up more easily.

Team Options
========

Mega Abomasnow's laundry list of weaknesses calls for specific forms of team support to compensate for them while maximizing its wallbreaking abilities. Checks to Fire-, Fighting-, and Steel-types are an absolute must, making bulky Water-types prime candidates for a teammate. Alomomola is an absurdly bulky pivot that can comfortably handle most Fire-, Steel-, and Fighting-types, chip down foes with Scald and Toxic, and heal Mega Abomasnow up with Wish or Healing Wish. Tentacruel and Mantine provide much-needed entry hazard removal with Rapid Spin and Defog, respectively, letting Mega Abomasnow come in without worrying about entry hazards; (ASC) Tentacruel can also set Toxic Spikes, making it very good at switching into and wearing down some of Mega Abomasnow's best checks. Azumarill acts as a more offensive option in this role, threatening Fire- and Fighting-types with its STAB combination while also capitalizing on much of the same team support as Mega Abomasnow, giving them good offensive synergy as slow wallbreakers. Speed control in the form of a Choice Scarf user is necessary to keep offensive pressure off of Mega Abomasnow, (RC) as well as and clean up late-game after opposing teams have been weakened by it.(weakened by what?) Choice Scarf Infernape is very proficient at keeping opposing Steel-types in check and can bring Mega Abomasnow in with U-turn after forcing them out with U-turn. Choice Scarf Latias is provides useful resistances to Fire and Fighting as well an excellent support move in Healing Wish, which gives you the option to play Mega Abomasnow much more recklessly and heal it back up later. Volt Switch and U-turn users can pivot out on Water-, Ground-, and Dragon-types that Mega Abomasnow threatens and bring it in for free. Magneton is notable for its ability to trap Steel-types, (RC) and can be paired alongside Alomomola holding an Eject Button to trap opposing Scizor virtually for free, making it worth the compounded Fire weakness. Hazard control is necessary to get the most out of Mega Abomasnow, as it is vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards and weak to Stealth Rock. This frees it up to come in as many times as possible without fearing residual damage. Tentacruel is particularly helpful in this regard because on top of its access to Rapid Spin, it resists Fire and Fighting and can set Toxic Spikes, making it very good at switching into and wearing down some of Mega Abomasnow's best checks. (you already mentioned tenta and hazard control, so I put this up with the first mention)

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Wood Hammer / Giga Drain
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Earthquake
item: Abomasite
ability: Soundproof
nature: Rash
evs: 112 HP / 232 SpA / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Blizzard is the attack Mega Abomasnow should use most of the time, as its low accuracy is negated by hail, and it is excellent at wearing down most foes between with its raw power and hail damage. Wood Hammer is necessary as a physical Grass-type STAB move over Seed Bomb, since the lack of Attack investment means Mega Abomasnow isn't very immediately threatening otherwise. This extra damage is worth Wood Hammer's recoil effect, as it is guaranteed to 2HKO Blissey after Stealth Rock and hail damage, (RC) as well as and 2HKO standard Hippowdon without having to rely on Blizzard's shaky accuracy (clarifying) in sand. Giga Drain can be used over Wood Hammer to capitalize on this set's Special Attack investment, be more threatening to physical walls, and provide Mega Abomasnow with a much-(AH)needed form of recovery. Energy Ball can also be used, however, if you're more concerned about dishing out as much damage as possible. Opting for a special Grass-type STAB attack over Wood Hammer has the added benefit of letting Mega Abomasnow pose a more consistent threat to Water-types using Scald, since such sets aren't afraid of burns. Ice Shard is necessary despite the lack of Attack investment to allow Mega Abomasnow to act as an an offensive check to Dragon- and Flying-types, most of which can heavily damage, (RC) if not outright OHKO it if they're allowed to go first. Hidden Power Fire gives Mega Abomasnow the ability to damage Steel-types, with and a decent chance to OHKO defensive Scizor after Stealth Rock and hail damage, making it better than any of its other coverage options. Earthquake can be used over Hidden Power Fire if hitting Scizor isn't as big of a concern, as it still does decent damage to most other Steel-types and gives Abomasnow the ability to hit Fire-types.

Set Details
========
112 HP EVs allow Abomasnow to avoid being OHKOed from attacks such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon's Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock and Crobat's Brave Bird from full HP. It also gives Abomasnow a decent chance to live survive Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch. 164 Speed EVs allow Abomasnow to outspeed Alolan Muk. The rest of the EVs are is dumped into Special Attack to make Abomasnow's special attacks moves (repetitive) as powerful as possible. Soundproof is the chosen pre-Mega ability, as it lets pre-Mega Abomasnow wall Sylveon lacking Hidden Power Fire and therefore lets allows Mega Abomasnow tomore easily place heavy pressure on balance teams.

Usage Tips
========

This set is geared towards spamming attacks and wearing foes down with hail damage. Mega Abomasnow should use Blizzard the majority of the time, and it has the luxury of easy prediction versus Ice-resistant Pokemon due to how powerful Blizzard is. Ice Shard is rather weak due to the lack of Attack investment, so it cannot be used to revenge kill reliably; it should still be used to revenge kill Mega Sceptile, Latias, and other Ice-weak offensive threats, however. For this reason, it Mega Abomasnow should be paired alongside a consistent revenge killer to keep fast threats in check. Though not ideal, feel free to use this set somewhat recklessly, switching it into on Water- and Ground-types and letting it take hazard damage, as chances to simply fire off a Blizzard or Wood Hammer are fairly common. Soundproof allows Abomasnow to come in on Sylveon thanks to its immunity to Hyper Voice. This is valuable because it makes Sylveon, a balance staple, a near liability versus Abomasnow, a massive threat to balance teams, as long as it doesn't Mega Evolve.

Team Options
========

Mega Abomasnow should be paired alongside physical wallbreakers that check Fire-, Steel-, and Rock-types and appreciate its ability to wear down physical walls, such as Terrakion, Azumarill, and Infernape. Bulky Water-types make for excellent defensive partners to Mega Abomasnow, since they resist Fire and Steel and are generally capable of checking Fighting-types by virtue of their bulk or secondary typing. Tentacruel is notable because it can remove hazards with Rapid Spin and wear foes down with Toxic Spikes. Alomomola is one of the bulkiest Pokemon in the tier and can help negate Mega Abomasnow's longevity issues with Wish and Healing Wish. Swampert shuts down momentum versus VoltTurn teams with its physical bulk and immunity to Electric, which is valuable to the balance and bulky offense teams Mega Abomasnow finds itself on due to how easily VtolTurn VoltTurn teams can gain and maintain momentum versus them. Entry hazard removal is necessary to keep Mega Abomasnow healthy throughout the game. Togekiss and Tentacruel are both proficient at this and also resist Fighting. Volt Switch and U-turn users can bring Mega Abomasnow in safely; Magneton is exceptional at this because it traps Steel-types, by far the biggest defensive obstacle to Mega Abomasnow, with Magnet Pull. Choice Scarf Hydreigon is notable because it has U-turn, can check faster Pokemon, and can pivot in on Fire-types like Chandelure and Volcanion.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
========

A fully special set utilizing Blizzard / Giga Drain / Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast makes Mega Abomasnow a more direct threat to physical walls. However, the lack of Ice Shard neuters its revenge killing capabilities, making it much weaker to offense, and the lack of a physical move makes it much weaker to special walls, rendering its ability to core break moot. Growth can be used over a coverage move on the mixed set to make its special attacks much stronger and power up its rather weak Ice Shard, but it Mega Abosasnow is generally much better off spamming as many unboosted attacks as possible. Ice Punch is Mega Abomasnow's most powerful physical Ice-type STAB attack, but it comes at the cost of either priority or coverage, meaning it is much weaker either to offense or to Steel-types. Leech Seed gives Mega Abomasnow a decent source of recovery that it otherwise sorely lacks while letting it gain chip damage on switch-ins, but it loses out on coverage, (RC) and is generally inferior to doing direct damage anyway.

Checks and Counters
========

**Fire-types and Fire-type coverage**: Mega Abomasnow's 4x weakness to Fire makes it extremely vulnerable to the likes of Infernape, Volcanion, and Entei. They take heavy damage from Earthquake, though, and are quickly chipped down by hail damage and entry hazards, so it's not hard for Mega Abomasnow to outlast them. Many Pokemon in the metagame, such as Serperior and Sylveon, (you've said soundproof aboma walls this like 3 times so either remove this example or fix those) will often run Hidden Power Fire as well, making it tough for Mega Abomasnow to put in work without being heavily damaged.

**Fighting-types**: Every relevant Fighting-type in the tier outspeeds and OHKOes Mega Abomasnow with their STAB moves, meaning it is forced out by the likes of Terrakion, Cobalion, and Heracross, though none of them can comfortably switch in.

**Steel-types**: Though they must watch out for Hidden Power Fire and Earthquake, Steel-types resist Mega Abomasnow's STAB combination and typically have the bulk to do so consistently, meaning Mega Abomasnow must either predict them to switch in or rely on a teammate to eliminate them before it can properly sweep or wallbreak. (would add an example here, as there's not one at all)

**Faster Ice-resistant Pokemon**: Mega Abomasnow's best bet versus faster offensive threats is Ice Shard, but its low Speed makes it overly reliant on the move, (RC) and thus vulnerable to Pokemon such as Mega Sharpedo, Azumarill, and Mamoswine, making them viable offensive checks that can outspeed and KO Mega Abomasnow after some chip damage.

**Entry Hazards, Status, and Chip Damage**: Mega Abomasnow is vulnerable to all formsof entry hazards and weak to Stealth Rock; this, alongside its abysmal Speed, causes it to be easily worn down throughout the game. All forms of status prove to be a massive nuisance to it for this reason: poison puts it on a timer, greatly limiting the turns it is able to do work, paralysis allows walls Mega Abomasnow would otherwise outspeed to attack or heal up on it, and burn neuters its physical attacking power entirely. This is again made worse by Mega Abomasnow's extremely low Speed, as it is commonly forced to take an attack or a status move as it sets up.
 

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