Abomasnow Movesets & Competitive Sets

While its poor Speed and reliance on prediction make it inconsistent, Abomasnow is a powerful wallbreaker with Choice Specs equipped. Its perfectly accurate Blizzard shreds through walls like Altaria, Tangela, and Rhydon, while its STAB Leaf Storm crushes switch-ins to Ice-type attacks like Poliwrath and Piloswine. Earth Power allows Abomasnow to break through Fire- and Steel-types like Rapidash and Klinklang. Focus Blast nails Miltank, who can switch into Blizzard with Thick Fat or Leaf Storm with Sap Sipper. The read-heavy nature of Abomasnow's playstyle makes it very appreciative of VoltTurn support. Offensive pivots like Rotom, Kabutops, and the Silvally formes can chip down foes and provide as many safe opportunities for Abomasnow to attack as possible. This chip damage is further accentuated by entry hazard support from Rhydon, Uxie, and Qwilfish. To prevent Abomasnow itself from being worn down by entry hazards, teammates that can remove them like Silvally-Poison, Altaria, and Cramorant prove to be extremely helpful. Morpeko is an offensive entry hazard remover that can also use Parting Shot to get Abomasnow onto the field after entry hazards have been cleared. Because of its long list of weaknesses, a strong defensive backbone is necessary. Checks to notable Fire-, Steel-, and Poison-types include Miltank, Stunfisk, and Throh, respectively.

Abomasnow becomes a threatening physical wallbreaker after a Swords Dance boost, thanks to its fierce STAB combination and good coverage. A boosted Wood Hammer completely demolishes common walls, like Poliwrath, Rhydon, and Clefairy. That said, its poor Speed and defensive profile make it hard to consistently set up. It usually is only able to reliably switch into extremely passive walls, like Miltank and Clefairy, and Choice-locked attackers like Thwackey and Rotom; otherwise, faster threats like Sawk and Rapidash prevent it from setting up. Ice Shard catches revenge killers like Rotom and Thwackey after a boost and, despite its low power, is still good enough coverage against Altaria and Gourgeist-S. Earthquake is a necessary coverage move, hitting Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon on the switch. Vital parts of facilitating Abomasnow's breaking ability are keeping hazards up and chipping down foes. Because of that, Spikes-stacking offense teams are very capable of supporting Abomasnow's capabilities. Qwilfish, Coalossal, and Froslass are some key Spikers, with Qwilfish resisting many of Abomasnow's biggest weaknesses. VoltTurn users like Manectric, Rotom, Kabutops, and the Silvally formes similarly bring down foes' health while keeping up momentum. These Pokemon can also revenge kill faster threats that may threaten Abomasnow, including Sawk and Rapidash. There also are some defensive teammates that can handle revenge killers, like Rapidash and Froslass, including Stealth Rock setters such as Miltank and Rhydon. Walls like Clefairy and Stunfisk can spread paralysis, which lets Abomasnow sweep more easily against Alolan Persian and the Silvally formes.

Moves Blizzard is Abomasnow's strongest STAB option, and it hits Pokemon such as Dodrio and Oricorio-E super effectively. Giga Drain is Abomasnow's Grass-type STAB attack that gives it a form of recovery and hits some Pokemon that resist Blizzard such as Jellicent, Kabutops, and Aurorus. Focus Blast gives Abomasnow coverage for Steel-types like Alolan Sandslash that would otherwise wall Abomasnow. Earthquake hits Fire-types such as Simisear and Combusken and can hit Steel-types like Aggron more reliably than Focus Blast. It also allows Abomasnow to 2HKO physically frail Pokemon such as Jynx. Energy Ball can be run over Giga Drain for slightly more power, but Abomasnow prefers the ability to regain health. Set Details 252 EVs in Special Attack and Speed maximize Abomasnow's offensive presence. A Choice Scarf, when combined with a Naive nature, allows Abomasnow to outspeed everything under base 115 Speed, such as Oricorio-E, and it also lets Abomasnow outspeed some boosted Pokemon such as +2 Carracosta. Snow Warning, on top of giving Blizzard perfect accuracy, can be used to stop opposing weathers, which lets Abomasnow revenge kill weather sweepers such as Kabutops and Shiftry. A Naive nature is used so that Abomasnow does not weaken Earthquake and takes decreased damage from priority attacks such as Lycanroc's Accelerock. Usage Tips With a Choice Scarf, Abomasnow can serve as a decently fast wallbreaker; it is especially effective against hyper offensive teams, as they often struggle to have a reliable switch-in for Abomasnow's attacks. It does well against weather-based teams, as it can be brought in on a free switch or on a predicted move like Swords Dance on Pokemon such as Kabutops and Leafeon. By negating the weather, Abomasnow is able to outspeed them and pick up the KO. Its Speed also allows Abomasnow to serve as an overall decent revenge killer and cleaner. On top of being brought in after a teammate is KOed, it can also be brought in with the help of a slow pivot such as Eelektross or Lanturn. These methods are used to bring Abomasnow in because it is rather frail and needs to stay healthy to perform its role optimally. Your opponent can struggle to predict Abomasnow's item from Team Preview, so it can take advantage of this to lure in otherwise faster threats such as Simisear that would generally stay in against it or come in to revenge kill it. However, be wary that without an item that boosts its power, Abomasnow's damage output can be somewhat underwhelming at times, and it often requires foes to be weakened before it can KO them. Also be aware that once Abomasnow's Choice Scarf has been revealed, it becomes much easier for the opponent to play around. Team Options Setup sweepers such as Oricorio-G and Alolan Raticate appreciate Abomasnow's ability to lure in and take out faster threats such as Dodrio. In return, these setup sweepers can weaken the opposing team before Abomasnow comes in to clean. Wallbreakers like Simisear are also good partners for this reason. Alolan Raticate can also support Abomasnow by using Knock Off on faster Choice Scarf users like Skuntank and Alolan Sandslash. Entry hazard setters such as Mudsdale and Golurk can help whittle down the opposing team, making it even easier for Abomasnow to clean. Eelektross is another good partner that can support Abomasnow with Knock Off and bring it in safely with a slow Volt Switch. While Abomasnow can serve as a decent revenge killer and cleaner, it is not the best way to keep faster foes in check, so teams may want a second Choice Scarf user to more reliably fulfill that role, such as Primeape. Due to its weakness to Stealth Rock and other hazards, Abomasnow appreciates having a form of hazard removal on its team, such as Skuntank or Silvally-Fairy.

Moves Swords Dance boosts Abomasnow's Attack stat, allowing it to more easily break through certain walls such as Clefairy and Eelektross. Wood Hammer serves as Abomasnow's main Grass-type STAB attack, hitting Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types such as Carracosta, Regirock, and Mudsdale, although using it comes at the cost of taking a good amount of recoil. Bloom Doom coming from Wood Hammer more easily breaks through bulky foes such as Gurdurr and Type: Null, and it also ignores the recoil of Wood Hammer. Seed Bomb is an alternate option over Wood Hammer when running a Life Orb because it does not deal additional recoil damage. Ice Shard is Abomasnow's best way to make up for its lackluster Speed; it hits Pokemon such as Dodrio and Oricorio-G and can be decently powerful when combined with a Swords Dance boost. Earthquake hits Steel-types such as Aggron and Probopass, which can otherwise take any attack except +2 Bloom Doom. It can also be used to hit faster Fire- and Steel-types such as Simisear and Alolan Sandslash on the switch. Blizzard is an alternative option that can serve as a decently powerful Ice-type STAB attack; in particular, it hits physically bulky Pokemon like Tangela and Lurantis that would otherwise wall Abomasnow. However, this leaves it much more vulnerable to Fire- and Steel-types. Set Details 252 EVs in Attack and Speed allow Abomasnow to more easily sweep and break through walls. A Jolly or Hasty nature enables Abomasnow to outspeed Pokemon such as Timid Aurorus and Jolly Golurk. While a Jolly nature is run when using Earthquake, a Hasty nature is used alongside Blizzard to maximize its power. An Adamant or Lonely nature can be run to further raise Abomasnow’s Attack, but this leaves it unable to outspeed the aforementioned Aurorus and Golurk. Grassium Z with Wood Hammer lets Abomasnow use a 190-Base Power Bloom Doom, which lacks the recoil of Wood Hammer and can break past walls like Type: Null. If the team has another Z-Move user, Abomasnow can instead run a Life Orb to boost its overall power. It is run along with Seed Bomb, as Wood Hammer's recoil would otherwise stack with the Life Orb's. Usage Tips Abomasnow should take advantage of the Attack boost from Swords Dance to break through bulkier Pokemon such as Clefairy and Musharna so a teammate can come in to clean up. Through a combination of Swords Dance and Ice Shard, Abomasnow can also serve as a decent late-game cleaner, and it can also be used as a setup sweeper, ideally after threats such as Primeape and Stoutland have been KOed or at least put in range of Ice Shard. Abomasnow should set up against bulkier Pokemon that can do little to it, such as Claydol and Audino, although it should stay wary of moves such as Encore and Toxic. Abomasnow can also take advantage of its overall unpredictability to lure in certain Pokemon that can give its other sets trouble such as Clefairy and Type: Null, and it can scare away Pokemon that can deal with the Swords Dance set, such as Tangela. If running Blizzard, Abomasnow can further attempt to bluff its mixed wallbreaker set. Even without a Swords Dance boost, Abomasnow can still put a dent in the opponent's team due to the high Base Power of Wood Hammer and Blizzard, and it can serve as a decent revenge killer with Ice Shard. Abomasnow should be brought onto the field with the help of a slow pivot such as Eelektross or Lanturn, after a teammate has been KOed, or against a predicted non-damaging move such as Clefairy's Stealth Rock or Soft-Boiled. Team Options Fast Pokemon such as Alolan Persian appreciate Abomasnow's ability to weaken specially defensive walls that give them trouble such as Gastrodon and Audino, while they in return can help clean up weakened Pokemon and break down physical walls that can potentially stop Abomasnow from sweeping, such as Tangela and Sableye. Thunder Wave users such as Regirock and Clefairy can help cripple faster threats such as Primeape and Floatzel, allowing Abomasnow to outspeed them, but be aware that Abomasnow needs to run a positive Speed nature to outspeed a paralyzed Choice Scarf Primeape. Regirock and Clefairy can also help wear the opponent's team down with Stealth Rock and can serve as soft checks for Fire-types. Probopass stacks a weakness to Fighting-type attacks, but it can serve as a slow pivot and can trap Steel-types that give Abomasnow trouble, such as Alolan Sandslash. Due to Abomasnow's weakness to entry hazards, Pokemon that can provide hazard removal such as Skuntank and Silvally-Water are also appreciated.

Moves Blizzard serves as Abomasnow's main STAB attack, and its high Base Power allows Abomasnow to hit bulky Pokemon such as Tangela. It also does not have to worry about missing thanks to Snow Warning. Giga Drain is another STAB move that supplies coverage against Water-types and some other Ice-resistant Pokemon, such as Carracosta, Lanturn, Qwilfish, and Aurorus. It also gives Abomasnow a form of recovery that pairs well with Life Orb. Wood Hammer is an alternative Grass-type STAB move that can hit certain specially defensive threats such as Clefairy and Eelektross, but it causes Abomasnow to take significant recoil damage. Earthquake gives Abomasnow a way to hit Fire- and Steel-types such as Simisear and Alolan Sandslash on the switch in. Focus Blast is an alternate coverage option over Earthquake that still hits Steel-types and also hits certain Pokemon that are neutral to Earthquake like Type: Null and Munchlax, though at the cost of lower accuracy. Ice Shard allows Abomasnow to threaten faster foes and KO frailer or weakened Pokemon, such as Oricorio-G, boosted Torterra, and Dodrio. Set Details 252 EVs in Special Attack and Speed and a Life Orb let Abomasnow hit as strong and fast as possible. A Hasty nature allows it to outspeed Pokemon such as Timid Aurorus and Modest Ludicolo. Abomasnow can also run a Mild nature in order to hit harder at the cost of being outsped by the aforementioned threats. In both cases, a Defense-lowering nature is used over a Special Defense-lowering one so Abomasnow can more easily check certain special Water- and Grass-types, such as non-Hidden Power Fire Lanturn and Bellossom, without weakening its physical attacks. Snow Warning increases the accuracy of Blizzard, whittles down foes, and restricts the recovery of Pokemon like Musharna to ease Abomasnow's attempts to break through them. Usage Tips Abomasnow should be used to break slower and bulkier foes such as Drampa, Gastrodon, and Sableye. This should be done early- to mid-game so that late-game sweepers and cleaners can have an easier time fulfilling their roles. Be wary that many of these bulkier Pokemon will switch out immediately when Abomasnow is brought in, so be prepared to double switch or use Earthquake or Focus Blast in order to KO a predicted Fire- or Steel-type switch-in. Abomasnow can also wear them down over time, as they take a decent amount from Blizzard and hail's chip damage. Abomasnow should not switch directly into attacks, as it needs to stay as healthy as possible in order to effectively wallbreak. It can be brought in with a slow U-turn or Volt Switch user, such as Type: Null or Lanturn, or after a teammate has been KOed. Abomasnow can also make use of aggressive double switches to come in safely. Ice Shard should be used to revenge kill weakened faster foes such as Scyther and Dodrio. Abomasnow can take advantage of Giga Drain to regain health lost from Life Orb recoil, entry hazards, or any other forms of damage. Team Options Fast Pokemon such as Floatzel and setup sweepers such as Alolan Raichu, Carracosta, and Lycanroc appreciate Abomasnow's ability to break down bulkier foes such as Regirock and Eelektross so that they can more easily clean late-game. Fire-type checks such as Silvally-Dragon and Lanturn can help against Pokemon such as Simisear that can give Abomasnow trouble. Fighting-types such as Primeape and Hitmonchan can also give Abomasnow issues, so Pokemon such as Jellicent, Oricorio-G, and Silvally-Fairy can come in handy. Slow pivots such as Eelektross and Lanturn can take hits in order to bring Abomasnow in safely. Stealth Rock and other entry hazards work well with hail to whittle down foes such as Regirock and Lanturn, making them easier for Abomasnow to break through. Good examples of hazard setters include Mudsdale and Qwilfish. Conversely, Abomasnow dislikes having to take damage from entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, so hazard removers such as Skuntank and Hitmonchan can keep Abomasnow healthy. Finally, Abomasnow can form a decent core with Alolan Sandslash, which takes advantage of Snow Warning thanks to Slush Rush, can remove entry hazards for Abomasnow using Rapid Spin, and breaks through certain special walls such as Clefairy. In return, Abomasnow can break through certain physical walls like Jellicent.

Moves Swords Dance boosts Abomasnow's Attack to incredible levels, making it extremely difficult to come into safely. Wood Hammer is an immensely powerful STAB move with few reliable switch-ins. Ice Shard slightly patches up Abomasnow's poor Speed and gives it some sort of defense versus faster threats, and it also gives it a way to clean weakened teams. Earthquake hits Steel- and Fire-types for more damage than anything else that Abomasnow has to offer. Set Details Investing 252 EVs into Speed lets Abomasnow outpace uninvested base 50 Speed Pokemon such as Registeel and other threats such as Dragalge and Rhyperior. The investment also allows base Abomasnow to outspeed uninvested Milotic so that it OHKOes Milotic with Wood Hammer before it can potentially be burned by Scald. Soundproof gives base Abomasnow the ability to pivot into attacks like Swellow's Boomburst. Usage Tips Set up Swords Dance on Pokemon threatened by Abomasnow's STAB moves, such as Rhyperior, Donphan, and Roserade. Abomasnow can also use its decent resistances and solid bulk to set up on a few offensive Pokemon, such as Zygarde-10% and Shaymin. After setting up, Abomasnow is devastatingly strong; use its immense power to blow huge holes in the opposition. Swords Dance Abomasnow can punish teams that rely on Registeel to check Abomasnow, as it is not a reliable answer to this set. Abomasnow can also function as a late-game cleaner with Swords Dance-boosted Ice Shard, so preserving it to do so is not a bad idea. Abomasnow has a few qualities that give choosing when to Mega Evolve a strategic component, such as choosing to Mega Evolve after an opposing weather setter has hit the field to disrupt the opposing team, or holding off on doing so to hit Milotic with Wood Hammer before it is able to attack. Be wary when switching Abomasnow into Pokemon that use sound moves, as they are all capable of OHKOing Abomasnow—some examples are Swellow with Heat Wave and Yanmega with Air Slash. Team Options This Mega Abomasnow set focuses on breaking through balance teams; as such, cleaners such as Zygarde-10%, Swellow, and Choice Scarf Gardevoir take advantage of the holes Abomasnow leaves in the opposition. Fire-type checks, such as Milotic, Flygon, Tyrantrum, and Rhyperior, are essential to cover Abomasnow's crippling Fire weakness. Partners with hazard control such as Mandibuzz and Flygon help to mitigate Abomasnow's weakness to entry hazards. Checks to Fighting-types such as Noivern, Slowbro, and Xatu are recommended to cover Abomasnow's other major weakness. Teammates that share mutual checks like Registeel with Abomasnow, including Gardevoir, Shaymin, and Goodra, appreciate Abomasnow's ability to heavily dent their mutual checks. Choice Scarf Tyrantrum is an especially notable partner, as it easily checks one of the biggest Fire-type threats in Salazzle and is extremely potent after opposing bulky Steel-types are weakened or removed by Abomasnow. Pokemon to draw in bulky Water- and Grass-types, such as Araquanid and Flygon, bring in the type of Pokemon that Abomasnow can set up on well.

Moves Blizzard is a powerful STAB move with no drawbacks under hail and few reliable switch-ins. Wood Hammer is another strong STAB move that nails Water-types that resist Blizzard. Giga Drain is less powerful, but it has the boon of giving Abomasnow more longevity, allowing it to come onto the field more often. Ice Shard somewhat mitigates Abomasnow's crippling Speed, and it is especially valuable in picking off threats such as Swellow, Roserade, Zygarde-10%, and Flygon. Focus Blast hits Steel-types like Registeel and Bronzong and is Abomasnow's strongest tool versus Porygon2, Snorlax, and Umbreon, which otherwise wall it. Earthquake is an option to hit Steel- and Fire-types with more reliable accuracy, with the cost of being weaker versus all relevant Steel-types and missing out on Pokemon such as Porygon2 and Snorlax. Set Details 164 Speed EVs allow Abomasnow to outpace uninvested base 50 Speed Pokemon, most notably Registeel. Maximum Special Attack gives Abomasnow's primary STAB move, Blizzard, the most power; a Rash or Mild nature being used so that the power of Ice Shard and Earthquake is not compromised, and not weakening its ability to switch into Pokemon such as Zygarde-10% and Donphan in the case of Rash variants, while Mild variants can more comfortably switch into threats like Raikou and Slowbro. The rest of the EVs go into Attack, guaranteeing that Registeel is 3HKOed by Earthquake and that Flygon is KOed by the combination of Ice Shard and hail damage. Soundproof is used as the ability, as it can potentially give Abomasnow free switches into attacks such as Swellow's Boomburst and Yanmega's Bug Buzz, although both have super-effective coverage that can heavily weaken Abomasnow. Usage Tips Bring Abomasnow into weaker attacks, especially those it resists, such as Steelix's Earthquake and Milotic's Scald, and use its powerful STAB moves to break down teams. However, be wary of Scald burns if using Wood Hammer. Note that Earthquake is only necessary to use for Fire- and Steel-types aside from Bronzong; otherwise, prioritize throwing out stronger STAB attacks. Ice Shard is a fantastic tool that allows Abomasnow to threaten a lot of Pokemon that would otherwise be unafraid of it, especially faster Ice-weak Pokemon such as Roserade, Nidoqueen, and Flygon. Abomasnow has a few qualities that give choosing when to Mega Evolve a strategic component, such as choosing to Mega Evolve after an opposing weather setter has hit the field to disrupt the opposing team, or remaining in base forme to hit Milotic with a Grass-type move before it is able to attack. Note that outspeeding minimum Speed Milotic with non-Mega Abomasnow requires 172 Speed EVs. Be wary when switching Abomasnow into Pokemon that use sound moves, as they are all capable of OHKOing Abomasnow—Swellow with Heat Wave and Ribombee with Hidden Power Fire are some examples. Team Options Fire-type checks such as Snorlax, Diancie, and Dragalge are able to switch into the greatest threats to Abomasnow. Checks to Fighting-types such as Uxie, Golbat, and Gardevoir are recommended to cover Abomasnow's other major weakness. Partners with hazard control such as Sigilyph and Espeon help to mitigate Abomasnow's weakness to entry hazards. Cleaners such as Zygarde-10%, Swellow, and Choice Scarf Tyrantrum make good teammates to take advantage of the holes Abomasnow leaves in the opposition. Pokemon to draw in bulky Water- and Grass-types, such as Metagross and Flygon, bring in the type of Pokemon that Abomasnow can switch in to well. U-turn or Volt Switch users like Uxie, Raikou, and Flygon are useful to give Abomasnow more opportunities to get on the field.

For full USUM 1v1 analyses, you can check out the USUM format page.

Moves Blizzard is Mega Abomasnow's main STAB attack, which provides powerful spread coverage and is perfectly accurate in hail. Giga Drain is a secondary STAB attack that allows Mega Abomasnow to beat Water-types, such as Tapu Fini and Gastrodon, while also providing health recovery. In a pinch, Ice Shard lets Mega Abomasnow snipe down a weakened target, notably Zygarde or Landorus-T, outside of Trick Room. Hidden Power Fire is another option to lure and hit Steel-types like Genesect, Mega Metagross, and Mega Scizor for super effective damage. Protect allows Abomasnow to stall out a turn while its partner deals with anything threatening, and it is also useful for keeping Abomasnow safe while its teammate sets Trick Room. Set Details The given spread maximizes bulk and power behind Blizzard, with the remaining 4 EVs dumped into Attack to power up Ice Shard. A Quiet nature with 0 Speed IVs allows Mega Abomasnow to move as fast as possible inside of Trick Room. Snow Warning is the preferred pre-Mega ability, as it gives Abomasnow two chances to set hail against opposing weather teams before being forced to switch out. Usage Tips Mega Abomasnow is typically most effective as a mid-game sweeper, being sent in to attack after Trick Room has been set up. You should typically wait until you have a safe switch to bring in Abomasnow; in many cases, this means waiting until a teammate faints before you bring it in. Abomasnow is quite frail in comparison to Mega Abomasnow and shares its large number of weaknesses. In some situations, however, it makes sense to lead with Abomasnow to set hail early on. For example, if you expect your opponent to lead with a frail Focus Sash holder like Deoxys-A, leading with Abomasnow pressures these Pokemon to switch out or risk incurring chip damage from Hail. If they don't switch out, Abomasnow can also snipe them down on the following turn with Ice Shard. With an immunity to powder moves and access to strong Ice STAB, Abomasnow makes a decent answer to Amoonguss, a Pokemon that otherwise troubles Trick Room teams when Misty or Electric Terrain isn't activated. Team Options Trick Room setters like Porygon2, Bronzong, and Diancie are necessary to unlock Mega Abomasnow's full potential, since its low speed severely hinders it outside of Trick Room. Fire-types like Incineroar and Volcanion have fantastic synergy with Abomasnow, clearing out the Steel-types that Abomasnow doesn't want to deal with. In return, Abomasnow helps deal with opposing Water-types like Tapu Fini and Suicune and Ground-types like Landorus-T and Zygarde. Tapu Fini or Tapu Lele are the preferred Island Guardians to pair with Mega Abomasnow; Tapu Bulu, while an option for powering up Grass-type attacks, shares many common weaknesses with Abomasnow, while Tapu Koko's high Speed tier makes it awkward on most Trick Room teams that Mega Abomasnow would find itself on. Tapu Fini has particularly fantastic type synergy with Abomasnow, dealing with Fire-types like Incineroar, which Abomasnow can't stand.

Moves Abomasnow takes advantage of its fantastic coverage and ability to freely spam Blizzard to break down slower teams. Blizzard is used as one of its main STAB moves; it is Abomasnow's hardest-hitting attack and can be difficult for a foe to switch into. Giga Drain is used as Abomasnow's second STAB move and works really well in collaboration with Blizzard. Not only does it hit the many bulky Water-types in RU that Blizzard would not dent, but it also helps make up for Life Orb recoil. Ice Shard is used as a tool to revenge kill weakened threats as well as just generally threaten Pokemon that would be used to revenge kill Abomasnow if it lacked Ice Shard such as Virizion, Flygon, and Aerodactyl. Focus Blast and Earthquake are used in attempt to cover Pokemon that resist both Grass- and Ice-type coverage. Focus Blast is good to hit bulky Steel-types such as Registeel and Bronzong either for neutral or super effective damage but comes with the great risk of misses. Earthquake hits almost the same Pokemon but can also catch Pokemon such as Delphox on the switch in and can not miss, although it does not hit Bronzong. Furthermore, Earthquake does not hit Registeel as hard. Set Details Maximum Speed and Special Attack EVs make Abomasnow as strong and as fast as possible. For the nature, you can either run Mild, which adds some always appreciated extra power to Blizzard, or Hasty, which can be used to catch Pokemon such as Exploud and neutral-natured Samurott of guard. Life Orb is the preferred item to maximize Abomasnow's power and the recoil damage does not really matter because it gains back a lot of HP by using Giga Drain. Usage Tips When using Abomasnow, you should attempt to get it in as early as possible to try to put dents into teams early in the game. Abomasnow should be put onto teams that are looking for a strong wallbreaker that also has priority, since it is one of the only Pokemon that fit this description in RU. If Abomasnow risks taking a lot of damage without picking up a KO, it is often better to switch out and preserve Abomasnow's HP. Furthermore, Abomasnow should almost never be used as a switch-in unless the opponent is obviously going to do something that does a very small amount of damage to it. It should also not be used as a switch-in to Volt Switch users even though it does resist this move because that just gives the opponent a free switch into a Pokemon that can KO Abomasnow. Abomasnow can only really switch into bulky Water-types such as Alomomola, Slowking, and Jellicent, since most of the time they will only be clicking Scald and the burn for the most part does not matter, since this set is mostly special attacks. That being said, even switching into these Pokemon can be risky, since they can also use moves that hinder Abomasnow such as Thunder Wave, Knock Off, and Toxic. Team Options Abomasnow is bothered by entry hazards with its weakness to Stealth Rock as well as its vulnerability to Toxic Spikes and Spikes. Because of this, Abomasnow appreciates being paired with Rapid Spin or Defog users such as Flygon, Pelipper, and Blastoise. With this being said, Abomasnow also appreciates hazard users of its own such as Qwilfish, Garbodor, and Roselia, which help further weaken and wear down its switch-ins. It is worth mentioning that the combination of Spikes and Defog is counterintuitive, so a spinner is preferred if going down this route. Abomasnow, as well as with most wallbreakers, appreciates Pokemon that can use Volt Switch or U-turn such as Flygon, Choice Specs Meloetta, Eelektross, and Manectric to gain momentum, as they can lure Pokemon in and let Abomasnow get a free attack off. Abomasnow's main checks and switch-ins are Steel-types, so Magnet Rise Magneton can work pretty well with Abomasnow by trapping Pokemon such as Escavalier and Bronzong. If you use Magneton, make sure to add Pokemon that deal with Fighting-types, since you are doubling up on that weakness.

Moves Swords Dance is the boosting move of choice, skyrocketing Abomasnow's Attack to a scary level. Wood Hammer is used to hit bulky Water-types hard, albeit with nasty recoil damage. Seed Bomb can be used instead if you don't like the recoil Wood Hammer brings, but you lose a lot of power. Ice Shard gives Abomasnow a powerful STAB move after Swords Dance and a form of priority. Earthquake hits the Steel-types that commonly switch into Mega Abomasnow. Set Details Maximum Attack EVs are used to take advantage of Mega Abomasnow's amazing power while 180 Speed EVs allow Mega Abomasnow to outspeed Relaxed Swampert. Abomasite is obligatory so that Abomasnow can Mega Evolve. An Adamant nature allows Mega Abomasnow to hit as hard as possible, especially after a Swords Dance boost. Soundproof isn't useful on this set, but it can come in handy for setup opportunities, as it blocks sound moves such as Bug Buzz, Hyper Voice, and Boomburst. Usage Tips This set can work as both a wallbreaker and a win condition, as it hits hard initially and can proceed to overpower the opponent's team thanks to its access to Swords Dance. This set needs a ton of support to be truly effective, as its slow Speed stat and its bulk can only take it so far. Team Options This set appreciates wallbreakers, such as Choice Band Entei or Life Orb Darmanitan, to wear down Steel-types while also hitting a lot of foes for a massive amount of damage. This set really appreciates Spikes support from Pokemon such as Chesnaught or Roserade to wear down the Steel-types that commonly switch in, as Mega Abomasnow can force a lot of switches thanks to its STAB coverage. This set also appreciates entry hazard removal from Tentacruel or Crobat, as Mega Abomasnow has no reliable recovery and is susceptible to all entry hazards.

Moves Blizzard is Abomasnow's most reliable STAB move in hail and is its most powerful STAB move. Wood Hammer is used to nail special walls trying to switch into Blizzard. Giga Drain is an option, however, to have a way of recovering and still hits targets that are weak to it such as Swampert and Alomomola pretty hard. Ice Shard gives Abomasnow a priority move that can nail a lot of faster threats that may threaten it. Earthquake is used to get around Steel-types not named Mega Aggron and Fire-types that try to switch into Abomasnow's STAB moves. Focus Blast can be used instead to hit Mega Aggron a bit harder, but it loses out on coverage against Fire-types. Set Details Maximum Special Attack EVs are used to let Abomasnow hit as hard as it can with its most powerful STAB move, Blizzard. 180 Speed EVs allow Abomasnow to outspeed Relaxed Swampert. 8 HP EVs hit a Stealth Rock number, and the rest is dumped into Attack to let Abomasnow's other moves hit as hard as possible. Abomasite is given item, as otherwise Abomasnow cannot proceed to Mega Evolve. A Mild nature is used to boost Abomasnow's Special Attack while lowering its less important Defense, as Abomasnow's resistances are usually more specially based. Soundproof is used before Mega Evolution to avoid sound moves such as Yanmega's Bug Buzz or Exploud's Boomburst. It also allows for more hail turns for Mega Abomasnow to spam Blizzard. Usage Tips This set should be used on a bulky offensive team looking for a decent wallbreaker with priority. Abomasnow must be wary of any Pokemon faster than it that resists its priority or that it cannot afford to take a hit from, such as Entei or Darmanitan. Plan to bring this set out early- or mid-game to punch holes while softening up bulky foes. Team Options Trick Room is a great option, as Mega Abomasnow's base 30 Speed allows it to outspeed almost everything in UU under Trick Room. Slowking is a particularly good partner as it has excellent defensive synergy with Mega Abomasnow, resisting Fire, Fighting, and Steel while Mega Abomasnow resists Grass and Electric; it can also set up Trick Room multiple times thanks to its ability Regenerator and its access to Slack Off. Entei is a good partner to form a wallbreaking core and it has great offensive and defensive synergy with Abomasnow. Abomasnow appreciates entry hazard removal from the likes of Tentacruel or Crobat, as both can get rid of all entry hazards fairly easily without compounding Abomasnow's weaknesses.

Moves Blizzard is Abomasnow's strongest STAB attack and is its most spammed move. Giga Drain is Abomasnow's Grass-type STAB move that provides coverage against Water-types and also provides longevity. Wood Hammer is a great choice against more specially defensive Pokemon, such as Sylveon, which can tank a Blizzard nicely. It isn't recommended, however, to use it with Focus Sash because that will be counterproductive due to recoil damage. Ice Shard lets Abomasnow pick off weakened Pokemon, such as Landorus-T, outside of Trick Room. Protect is to scout and save Abomasnow from attacks such as Brave Bird from Talonflame, which will then allow Abomasnow's partner to KO or weaken the Pokemon. Set Details Maximum Special Attack EVs with a Quiet nature and 0 IVs in Speed are for maximum damage output and because Abomasnow should have the lowest Speed possible for Trick Room. Maximum HP EVs give Abomasnow some bulk because investing in Speed wouldn't be necessary. Focus Sash is the preferred item for Abomasnow, as it frees up your Trick Room team to use a different Mega Evolution such as Mega Camerupt or Mega Mawile. Abomasite is an option so that Abomasnow can Mega Evolve and gain boosted offenses and defenses. Life Orb boosts Abomasnow's attacks without the use of Abomasite. If Abomasnow is running Wood Hammer, switch its item to Life Orb and change its EV spread to 252 HP / 52 Atk / 204 SpA so that Abomasnow will always OHKO 252 HP / 44 Def Rotom-W with Wood Hammer. Usage Tips Most of the time, Abomasnow should be spamming Blizzard. Giga Drain or Wood Hammer should be used when there is a Water-type out. Due to Abomasnow's many weaknesses, it isn't recommended to switch it in unless it's into an Electric- or Water-type attack. Generally, Abomasnow can take Electric- and Water-type attacks very well, which allows it to switch in against Pokemon such as Thundurus and Suicune very easily. Leading with a Trick Room setter alongside Abomasnow works well, as you'll be able to abuse Abomasnow's slow Speed right from the start without having to find an opportunity to switch it in safely. Team Options Pairing Abomasnow with a partner that has access to Helping Hand and Trick Room, such as Cresselia, will benefit Abomasnow a lot, as Cresselia will be able to boost the power of Blizzard. Cresselia is also able to get rid of Fighting-types that threaten Abomasnow. Other Trick Room setters that pair up well with Abomasnow are Gothitelle, which can check Fighting-types and provide Helping Hand support, and Jellicent, which checks Fire-types and Aegislash. Heatran is another great partner, as its Flash Fire ability will discourage the use of Heat Wave and it can also check Steel- and Rock-types that threaten Abomasnow. Heatran is benefited by Abomasnow because it checks bulky Water-types, such as Rotom-W, which usually give Heatran trouble. Terrakion, although a bit fast for Trick Room, helps Abomasnow out by checking Steel- and Flying-types. Abomasnow, in turn, can get rid of Landorus-T, which gives Terrakion problems. Other Pokemon that can make use of Blizzard, such as Gastrodon, Swampert, and Milotic, are great partners. Gastrodon is benefited by Abomasnow's removal of Grass-types, while Gastrodon helps by checking Fire-types that threaten Abomasnow. Swampert is essentially the same as Gastrodon, but because it has access to Wide Guard, it can protect Abomasnow from Heat Wave or Rock Slide. If you're using Abomasnow outside of Trick Room, Greninja is a really niche option for a teammate, as it synergizes really well with Abomasnow. Greninja checks Aegislash and Fire-types, while the hail and Blizzard can make it a pretty decent hail attacker. Abomasnow also gets rid of bulky Water-types that Greninja generally has trouble breaking through.

Bring Abomasnow in on a Choice-locked Ground- or Grass-type move from the likes of Krookodile or Roserade and proceed to set up Substitute. Thanks to its Ice-type STAB move in Ice Beam, Abomasnow can't be walled by other Grass-types, and its ability Soundproof means it can't be phazed out by Roar either. Overall, however, Abomasnow lacks anything substantial other than an annoyance factor over its competition, so even this set is going to be done better by Shaymin or Roserade.

With a Choice Scarf, Abomasnow can overcome its mediocre Speed in order to spam its powerful STAB Blizzard. As Blizzard is such a good offensive move, hitting both opponents, it should be Abomasnow's main move. Giga Drain allows Abomasnow to take out Water-types that resist Blizzard, as well as Tyranitar, which might switch in to prevent consistent usage of Blizzard. Grass Knot, despite hitting Rotom-W for only a measly 20 Base Power, does a huge amount of damage to Tyranitar. Although it may seem strange to use it on a Choice Scarf set, Ice Shard is used because Abomasnow is not extremely fast even after the Choice Scarf boost. Sheer Cold is a desperation move, and should only be used when Abomasnow would otherwise have to freeze the opponent with Blizzard to win. Because Sheer Cold's 30% accuracy is still higher than Blizzard's 10% chance to freeze, it can increase your chances of winning in certain circumstances. Light Screen, while unorthodox, can allow Abomasnow's teammates to survive important attacks. It should only be used if it is vital that a teammate survives or if both opponents resist all of Abomasnow's other moves. The EVs and nature maximize Abomasnow's Speed in order to take advantage of the Choice Scarf boost. The rest of the EVs go into Special Attack so Abomasnow can deal as much damage as possible with Blizzard. Helping Hand helps the Choice Scarf set much more, as Abomasnow will usually be able to use Blizzard with the Choice Scarf Speed boost. Terrakion, while usually not seen running Helping Hand, is a great partner for Abomasnow, as it can defeat Tyranitar and Ninetales without much trouble—two Pokemon that prevent Abomasnow from using Blizzard. Garchomp also works well with Abomasnow, as it enjoys the lack of Flying-types created by Blizzard in order to use Earthquake more effectively; this strategy becomes even more effective as Abomasnow resists Earthquake.

With this set, Abomasnow can abuse its most useful quality in Snow Warning while dishing out large amounts of damage to many Pokemon in the metagame. Blizzard is an amazing move, hitting both opponents. In addition, it hits common Pokemon such as Zapdos and Garchomp for super effective damage. Giga Drain is a secondary STAB attack, hitting Water-types, which resist Blizzard, super effectively. Grass Knot can be used to hit heavy Pokemon such as Tyranitar harder, but Abomasnow will miss the healing provided by Giga Drain. Although this Abomasnow has no EVs in Attack, Ice Shard is still an excellent STAB priority attack and can finish off weakened Pokemon, especially with added damage from hail; it can also do a reasonable amount of damage to Pokemon that it hits super effectively. Ice Beam is an option if you are concerned about the weather changing after Abomasnow has been sent out, and also hits a single opponent harder than Blizzard due to the power drop caused when multiple Pokemon are targeted. Protect is a standard move on many Pokemon in the metagame, and Abomasnow is no exception—not only does it allow Abomasnow to avoid Fake Out, but it also allows Abomasnow to preserve its Focus Sash for an extra turn and add extra residual damage via hail. A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs give Abomasnow a better chance of getting hail up on a double switch or at the beginning of the battle. The EVs maximize Abomasnow's Special Attack, as it is somewhat mediocre; the rest of the EVs go into HP, as Abomasnow does not want Speed. If being faster than opposing Abomasnow is a more important priority than getting hail up, an alternative EV spread of 156 HP / 252 SpA / 100 Spe with a Modest nature can be used. If you still want to be faster than opposing Abomasnow while not giving up too much weather control, Abomasnow can run 2 Speed IVs to outspeed standard Abomasnow. Focus Sash allows Abomasnow to survive nearly any hit. Even though this set uses HP EVs, Abomasnow is still extremely frail; Focus Sash alleviates this to some degree, however. Because this Abomasnow is quite slow, it works well in Trick Room. Cresselia is an excellent partner for this reason—not only can it set up Trick Room, but it can also use Helping Hand to strengthen the power of Abomasnow's Blizzard, and Psychic to weaken pesky Fighting-types that would otherwise easily OHKO Abomasnow. Fire- and Steel-types wall every one of Abomasnow's moves, so a Water-type, such as Rotom-W, or a Ground-type can be a good partner to help to take out these Pokemon.

Abomasnow's most successful result has been operating under the effects of Trick Room, letting it turn its bad base 60 Speed into a positive. Blizzard is Abomasnow's best STAB option, super effectively hitting Thundurus, Tornadus, Landorus, Latios, and Amoonguss and threatening a reasonable chance to freeze targets. Giga Drain hits bulky Water-types super effectively, and it's especially useful against rain teams. Ice Shard offers useful chip damage when Abomasnow is about to be KOed. Because defensive EVs are useless on a Focus Sash user, 252 EVs are allocated into Attack to strengthen Abomasnow's Ice Shard. Focus Sash ensures Abomasnow can get off one or two Blizzards, which is especially helpful since it is very easy to OHKO Abomasnow. Other Options Choice Scarf or a Mild nature with 252 Speed EVs can let Abomasnow operate outside of Trick Room. Ice Gem lets Abomasnow regularly OHKO bulky Thundurus of the time with Blizzard, a feat few special attackers can boast. Wood Hammer can be used to hit specially defensive bulky Water-types like Rotom-Wash, Suicune, and Politoed harder, although it makes Abomasnow more susceptible to Intimidate and breaks Focus Sash. Icy Wind can be used to provide speed control. Sheer Cold is a last-ditch effort to KO troublesome threats, especially Cresselia and Ice-resistant foes like Heatran and Metagross. Common Partners Jellicent is the most common Trick Room setter for Abomasnow, as it checks the Fire- and Rock-types which give Abomasnow trouble like Heatran, Volcarona, and Tyranitar. In return, Abomasnow threatens Thundurus and bulky Water-types, like Suicune and Rotom-Wash, which give Jellicent issue. Heatran and Abomasnow cover each other's weaknesses fairly well, with Heatran removing Steel-types and threatening opposing Heatran, and Abomasnow removing the Water-types that Heatran performs poorly against. Checks and Counters Steel-types and Fire-types such as Metagross, Heatran, and Volcarona resist both of Abomasnow's STAB moves and can OHKO back with their STAB moves, although Metagross does have to be mindful of freezing from Blizzard. Although Tyranitar is weak to Grass, it is expected to beat Abomasnow one-on-one, especially if sand is up. Landorus-T is a soft check to Abomasnow. It is faster and can safely use U-turn to deal massive damage, although it has to be mindful of an Ice Shard.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Abomasnow's unique typing and ability grant it the coverage and power to check the ubiquitous sand and rain archetypes by OHKOing Tyranitar and Politoed with Wood Hammer and make it a notable Trick Room attacker with its decently powerful Blizzard. However, its typing also leaves it weak to Stealth Rock and many common attacking types, and its bulk and dependence on Trick Room leave it prone to being picked off by strong neutral hits, which means it isn't as effective in weather wars as the other setters. Grass Gem-boosted Wood Hammer OHKOes Tyranitar and Politoed, forcing them to switch out and leaving Abomasnow with the weather advantage. It also OHKOes Jellicent. Abomasnow's Snow Warning guarantees Blizzard always hits both foes, notably OHKOing Landorus-T and 2HKOing Latios. Ice Shard is an option to chip away at the aforementioned Ice-weak foes whenever Abomasnow is at a Speed disadvantage. The given EV spread lets Abomasnow take a Low Kick from bulky Tyranitar and OHKO it with a Grass Gem-boosted Wood Hammer. The rest of the EVs are spent in Special Attack. 0 Speed IVs are necessary to move before Tyranitar in Trick Room. Abomasnow uses Wood Hammer as its Grass-type attack to guarantee the OHKO on Tyranitar, while other options like Energy Ball and Giga Drain do not. Another option for Abomasnow is Life Orb with a Quiet nature, making it a stronger Trick Room attacker that can OHKO Latios with Blizzard. Jellicent is a most natural partner for Abomasnow, as it sets up Trick Room and beats Heatran, which resists all of Abomasnow's attacks. Jellicent may even opt into a more offensive set such as Water Gem Water Spout, as Abomasnow beats common counterplay such as Tyranitar and opposing Jellicent, making a powerful offensive duo with their combined spread attacks. Cresselia may be used as an additional Trick Room setter that can boost Abomasnow's middling damage output with Helping Hand or run Expert Belt as to beat Fighting-types like Conkeldurr. Heatran is another natural partner, as Abomasnow beats Water-types and Latios and Heatran beats Steel-types such as Metagross and Scizor. Eruption Heatran works especially well, as nearly nothing can switch into a Blizzard and Charcoal-boosted Eruption at the same time. Slow Fighting-types like Conkeldurr and Scrafty work well in Trick Room and provide another way of beating Kyurem-B and Steel-types, especially Heatran.