Monotype Hail yes! (Peak: ~1700)

[Rubicon]

Hey there. I'd like to talk to you about how I made an ice team work out to my liking.

Ice was always one of my favorite types, despite its many shortcomings. Part of me wants to believe it started back when I was a 7-year-old scrub in Pokemon Red, with an over-trained Blastoise who somehow also caught an Articuno. He was my lifeline against Venusaur, and he succeeded where my strongest could not.

History aside, I've made strides with this team for about a year, but I'd like to see where I can do better with it now.

Fimbulvetr (Ninetales-Alola) (F) @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aurora Veil
- Freeze-Dry
- Blizzard
- Moonblast

It's hard to imagine a hail team without a hail setter, and Ninetales-Alola always fits the bill here. This build helps keep her as (kind of) durable as she is fast. Aurora Veil, Freeze-Dry, and Moonblast are pretty standard-issue, while Blizzard is there to help her make up for the lack of power that comes with the EV build.
The EV spread is far from standard-issue, but the extra 62 HP has gotten her out of some spots of trouble like in the vs. Ice replay you can watch below. It's also helped me understand why the full attack investment is important, too. Things like Toxapex can give her grief, outlasting the likes of Freeze-Dry

Cocytus (Kyurem-Black) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Fusion Bolt
- Iron Head
- Outrage
- Earth Power

Kyurem "just pick top tier" Black. The heavy hitter of the team. He makes the most out of Fusion Bolt and Outrage as his usual physical attacking moves, Iron Head helps deal with the fairies, and Earth Power, while coming off of a weaker special attack stat, is always appreciated for coverage. The item choice is there for the fact that it's often the one thing users of Diancie, specs Keldeo, and anything slower than 475.5 speed, which is often surprising for many

Lyuba (Mamoswine) (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock

The one who leads half of my games. To think I thought having a Life Orb was a good idea...at any rate, she's also the one who I try to get on the field at full health so she can act as the combo-breaker of a potential runaway sweeper, or to just give the opposing side a taste of what they'd LOVE to put up against me. The Adamant nature, while not ideal for dealing with the likes of Breloom, helps with dealing with the usual set of Volcarona, enduring a burst of fire before striking back with an Ice Shard

Burgundy (Avalugg) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Avalanche
- Recover
- Rapid Spin
- Roar

The first half of my only hope against heavy hitters. This one is probably the most normal of many ice teams, so there's not much to say about this one, besides the 248 HP, which gives me an odd HP amount to at least guarantee the rare event of coming in on 4 sets of rocks. Also, the way the move order is set up, you'd think a pirate made this set, the way the first letters of each move are placed

Meat locker (Rotom-Frost) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Defog

The other side of my defenses, and the one who leads the other half of many of my games. This home utility spreads freezer burns, removes pesky pebbles, and can kind of threaten steel types with its hidden power, which leaves Volt Switch the only really "normal" move found on Rotom. Pain Split was an option for me at some point, but without it, steel teams always have me asking "Why are we steel here? Just to suffer?"

Jafar (Weavile) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
- Low Kick
- Ice Shard

This exists on other teams, I'm sure, but in an older draft I had, Cloyster was here. With the Cloyster I had on an older version of this team, there would be little to no hope against normal teams and the other hardened types that often plague me. Something with Knock Off and Low Kick would help me improve my odds, while the other moves are the bread-and-butter coverage & priority moves

Overbearing Issues I'm Aware Of:

• Fire: many times, there's not a snowball's chance in hell against an opposing weather setter who can just do everything
• Grass: surprisingly, this matchup gives me grief over the fact that Kyurem-Black doesn't carry Ice Beam or Z-Freeze Shock. Mega Venusaur just eats everything else up. Breloom breaks heads, too
• Poison: same deal with Mega Venusaur, though Nihilego often can't be stopped if there are hazards on my side. And Toxapex
• Normal: Weavile helps in a way, but smart players often avoid having both eviolites knocked off of the dastardly duo that is Chansey and Porygon2
• Psychic: Jirachi, aka the Stun Gun. Scarf just blasts through everything
• Steel: good luck with that
• Lack of a Z-move

Replays

vs. Fighting
vs. Ice, where you can see how the extra HP saved me at the end
vs. Normal, where you can see why I struggle
vs. Steel, where hope is sometimes not all lost
vs. Psychic, the replay that got me to hit 1700

Full import

Fimbulvetr (Ninetales-Alola) (F) @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aurora Veil
- Freeze-Dry
- Blizzard
- Moonblast

Cocytus (Kyurem-Black) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Fusion Bolt
- Iron Head
- Outrage
- Earth Power

Lyuba (Mamoswine) (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock

Burgundy (Avalugg) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Avalanche
- Recover
- Rapid Spin
- Roar

Meat locker (Rotom-Frost) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Defog

Jafar (Weavile) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
- Low Kick
- Ice Shard

Thank you for your consideration

 

[Perish Song]

Hello and thanks for posting your team! Ice was the main type I used to ladder in ORAS, it easily became my favorite type later on but I lost interest on it with the USM. It's not the best type to play with, but definitively a funny one and it's great to see more ice players around.

You stated yourself that Ninetales Alola is a staple pick for Mono Ice teams, with its access to free Snow Warning that lets it set up Veil and support your team. However, only relevant stat for Ninetales Alola is its Speed, to secure a veil successfully against faster threats. The additional bulk that comes from HP is mostly insignificant, you mostly aim to set up veil twice in one game and unfortunately even with HP Alolatales won't live the third hit to set it effectively factoring the chip damage and Stealth Rock being omnipresent. So, I will be suggesting this set instead.

Set

Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Aurora Veil
- Freeze-Dry
- Moonblast
- Encore

Basic changes are SpA over HP and Encore over Blizzard. Encore lets you annoy passive Pokemon in order to generate some momentum for your own to set up. ( We will get there, but I think you could easily fit Cloyster in this team. ) SpA over HP just ensures that Alolan Ninetales hits as hard as possible. The reason why we discard Blizzard is since Alolan Ninetales's job is setting on Veil, we don't plan to stay in the field for too long. In most cases, it is required for you to switch out and when you don't you would rather hit as hard as possible. Another alternative is Hidden Power Fire, which can hit to Scizor variants on the switchin.

Kyurem-B set looks fine enough, but keep in mind that it's Choice Scarf set is heavily reliant on prediction and losing the prediction war is not something most Ice-type teams will appreciate. If you want to be safer, you may consider running its Life Orb set which fits the current metagame better as things went bulkier and you are not killing things you are meant to kill with Scarf anyway, maybe except Mega Diancie. Additionally, every relevant scarfer in the metagame will outspeed you regardless so I would prefer going power over speed.

Suggestion

Kyurem-Black @ Life Orb
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Fusion Bolt
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Roost / Outrage / Hidden Power Fire

I think things self-explanatory here, Ice Beam is there so Mega Venusaur doesn't wall you somehow. Hidden Power Fire is still good to hit some Steel-types that Earth Power cannot cover up, like Scizor as we mentioned it above with the Alolatales aswell. Outrage is used for sheer power but not really keen of it since Dragon-type coverage is not a thing.

This Mamoswine set is pretty much the standard lead set bar Endeavor. However, I'm not really keen on wasting Mamoswine's potential with setting up when you have a few Pokemon that can lead in games effectively, thus freeing Mamoswine. I'd say that keep Mamoswine, but consider running Scarf or a Band set. Instead of Mamoswine, I will recommend its pre-evolution Piloswine. Its fantastic ability Thick Fat boosted further by Eviolite lets you check some of the worst Ice-type offenders, mainly Volcarona, as this spread will take on +1 Z move and retaliate back with Rock Slide to secure a kill.

Piloswine

Piloswine @ Eviolite
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 244 HP / 12 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Toxic

Rock is obvious, Earthquake is mandatory STAB, Rock Slide OKHOes all offensive Volcarona variants and Toxic lets you cripple things.

Moving on, I will suggest you replace the last 3 Pokemon as is follows

---->

Reason for this is simply Sandslash Alola has a huge role compression and can fill many roles that Ice desperately needs with a single set.

Suggested Set

Sandslash-Alola @ Life Orb
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin

Paired with Ninetales Alola, this thing is a monster under the hail. Your natural coverage is more than enough against most matchups and boosted speed lets it effectively remove hazards which is a huge killer of Ice-type teams. Alternatively, you may run a Z move over Life Orb and have Swords Dance over Rapid Spin, but this set is really solid on its own and reason why we keep Rapid Spin here is that I want to remove Rotom from your team as well.

Note that this is an optional change that we have Mamoswine and Cloyster available as offensive Pokemon, keeping Avalugg for Rapid Spin purposes is acceptable. This one is up to you. If you choose to keep it, the spread you are running is fine. The only reason I suggested this is Alolan Sandslash is very fast under Hail, so can remove entry hazards from your side more reliably.

---->

Rotom Frost doesn't offer much to the Ice-type teams, except its Electric-typing lets it check Scizor since you live a hit to retaliate back / cripple. The pressure provided by Fusion Bolt Kyurem-B and Freeze Dry Ninetales Alola is more than enough to handle Flying- and Water-type Pokemon, so Electric coverage is not that necessary since you have more than 1 Pokemon for the job, third is simply an overkill. Since we added in Alola Sandslash / Avalugg in the team, the need for a defogger is gone now so this switch is doable.

Suggested Spread

Cloyster @ Waterium Z
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 112 Atk / 144 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Hydro Pump
- Rock Blast

With the Veil present in your side, it can effectively set up Shell Smash once which is mostly enough on most occasions. Rock Blast beats Fire- and Bug-types with ease, while boosted Z Hydro Pump takes down the most problematic Pokemon for Ice-type teams, namely Scizor Mega, Celesteela and Jirachi.

Discarded Weavile for Piloswine, set is above.

New team : https://pokepast.es/ed70c1b0d5073be7