Pokemon Sword and Shield

Alolan Ninetales - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

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Alolan Ninetales - Movesets and Counters.png
This is a strategy guide for using Alolan Ninetales in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, and Held Items to use with Alolan Ninetales, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Alolan Ninetales - Related Guides
Pokemon SWSH - Alolan Ninetales Evolution and LearnsetEvolution and Learnset Pokemon SWSH - Alolan Ninetales Best BuildBuild for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Alolan Ninetales

Types and Abilities

Pokemon Type 1 Type 2
Pokemon Sword and Shield - Ice Type Pokemon Sword and Shield - Fairy Type
Abilities
Snow Cloak Raises evasion in a hailstorm.
Snow Warning (Hidden) The Pokemon summons a hailstorm in battle.

Alolan Ninetales Weaknesses and Resistances

Type
Takes 4x damage
Pokemon Steel Image
Takes 2x damage
Pokemon Fire Image Pokemon Poison Image Pokemon Rock Image
Takes 0.5x damage
Pokemon Ice Image Pokemon Bug Image Pokemon Dark Image
Takes 1/4x damage
-
Takes 0x damage
Pokemon Dragon Image

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

HP Attack Defense Sp. Atk Sp. Def Speed
73 67 75 81 100 109

Best Nature for Alolan Ninetales

Best Natures
Timid
+(Spd, -Atk)
Modest
(+SpAtk, -Atk)

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Alolan Ninetales

Wall-building Supporter Moveset & Best Build

Nature Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread HP 4 / Sp.Atk. 252 / Spd. 252
Final Stat Values HP 149 / Atk. 78 / Def. 95 / Sp.Atk. 133 / Sp.Def. 120 / Spd. 177
Ability Snow Warning
Held Item Light Clay
Focus Sash
Moveset Aurora Veil
Freeze-Dry
Encore
Sheer Cold

These values are from base stats and ideal EVs, excluding external factors.

Wall-building Supporter Alolan Ninetales.png

Battle with a supportive approach by using hailstorms to your advantage to reduce incoming damage. With the Ability Snow Warning, Ninetales will be able to automatically start Hail, and with its high Speed, it can set up Aurora Veil to reduce the damage of incoming physical and special attacks.

Additionally, by raising your Sp. Atk EVs, you can deal heavy attacks along with weather damage after using Aurora Veil.

Items

If you equip Focus Sash, you'll be able to survive at least one attack, regardless of super effectivity, so Alolan Ninetales will be guaranteed a chance to set up Aurora Veil.

In the case of Light Clay, although it loses the survival guarantee of Focus Sash, Alolan Ninetales will be able to maintain the protection of Aurora Veil – in cases where you want to prioritize a longer Aurora Veil, using this item is recommended, as Alolan Ninetales' high Speed generally allows it to hit first and pull off Aurora Veil anyway, so there are plenty of situations where Light Clay can serve its purpose.

Alternate Move Choices

Blizzard An alternate choice for Freeze-Dry. Has perfect accuracy in Hail, so good for if you want to prioritize damage.
Icy Wind Gives potential support for teammates.
Moonblast An attacking move option. However, its similar effectiveness to Ice-type moves makes its usefulness limited.
Dark Pulse For hitting Ice and Steel types that its normal movepool has trouble with.
Disable A support move for limiting the opponent's options.

Setup Attacker Moveset & Best Build

Nature Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)
EV Spread HP 4 / Sp.Atk. 252 / Spd. 252
Final Stat Values HP 149 / Def. 95 / Sp.Atk. 146 / Sp.Def. 120 / Spd. 161
Ability Snow Warning
Held Item Focus Sash
Moveset Aurora Veil
Nasty Plot
Blizzard
Moonblast

These values are from base stats and ideal EVs, excluding external factors.

Setup Attacker Alolan Ninetales.png

Alternate Move Choices

Freeze-Dry An Ice-type option. For dealing with Water-type opponents.
Dark Pulse An option for a steady-damage attacking move. Ice and Fairy are both strong against Dragon and weak against Fire and Steel, so it provides some needed variety.
A strong Psychic-type move that attacks the user's defense.
Hypnosis A utility condition move that puts the opponents to sleep. Be wary of the low accuracy.

How to Use Alolan Ninetales Effectively

Fight with supporting moves and use the weather to your advantage

Alolan Ninetales has an excellent ability and set of moves. Particularly, you can set the weather to your advantage with the Hidden Ability, Snow Warning, which summons a hailstorm in battle. You can then use moves such as Aurora Veil to protect your team and create an environment that works to your advantage.

Don't get burned by Alolan Ninetales' high Speed

Alolan Ninetales is the fastest Pokemon with a weather-changing Ability. However, this has the potential downside that if it first in your party and the opposing Pokemon is slower and also has a weather-affecting ability, the effect of Snow Warning will be canceled. On the other hand, this Speed also allows Alolan Ninetales to use a variety of support moves effectively, so using its Speed to your advantage is key.

Counters for Alolan Ninetales

Alolan Ninetales
Weakness Pokemon Steel Image Pokemon Fire Image Pokemon Poison Image Pokemon Rock Image

Deal big damage with Fire and Steel attacks

Fire and Steel-type Pokemon are super effective against Alolan Ninetails, dealing a whopping 4x damage. Even if it uses Aurora Veil, it has weak durability due to its low HP and Defense stats.

Bullet Punch is a great choice for a Steel-type move, as it will always go first, so you can aim for a KO before Ninetales has a chance to use Aurora Veil.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon Description
Cinderace ImageCinderace Ranking: ★★★★★
・Can KO Alolan Ninetales due to the Speed and Type advantage.
Moveset & Best Build for Cinderace
Metagross ImageMetagross Ranking: ★★★★★
・Bullet Punch can OTK Alolan Ninetails due to the 4x effectiveness
Moveset & Best Build for Metagross
Heatran ImageHeatran Ranking: ★★★★☆
・Can take Alolan Ninetales' attacks due to the type advantage
Moveset & Best Build for Heatran

Change the weather to steal its thunder (hail?)

Alolan Ninetales is heavily reliant on the weather, so changing the weather to anything other than hailstorm will render it unable to use most of its main tricks.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon Description
Tyranitar ImageTyranitar Ranking: ★★★★☆
・Its Special Defense is increased by Sandstorm, so it may be able to set up on Alolan Ninetales
Moveset & Best Build for Tyranitar
Torkoal ImageTorkoal Ranking: ★★★★☆
・Its typing allows it to withstand Alolan Ninetales' learnable moves
Moveset & Best Build for Torkoal

Related Links

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Pokemon SWSH - Doubles Tier ListDoubles Tier List Pokemon SWSH - Competitive Team BuildingTeam Building Pokemon SWSH - Rental TeamsRental Teams

Best Builds for Returning Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Pokemon SWSH - Mimikyu Best BuildsMimikyu Pokemon SWSH - Wash Rotom Best BuildsWash Rotom Pokemon SWSH - Gyarados Best BuildsGyarados
Pokemon SWSH - Ferrothorn Best BuildsFerrothorn Pokemon SWSH - Aegislash Best BuildsAegislash Pokemon SWSH - Excadrill Best BuildsExcadrill
Pokemon SWSH - Tyranitar Best BuildsTyranitar Pokemon SWSH - Hydreigon Best BuildsHydreigon Pokemon SWSH - Heat Rotom Best BuildsHeat Rotom
Pokemon SWSH - Arcanine Best BuildsArcanine Pokemon SWSH - Mamoswine Best BuildsMamoswine Pokemon SWSH - Toxapex Best BuildsToxapex
Pokemon SWSH - Togekiss Best BuildsTogekiss Pokemon SWSH - Cloyster Best BuildsCloyster Pokemon SWSH - Durant Best BuildsDurant
Pokemon SWSH - Snorlax Best BuildsSnorlax Pokemon SWSH - Charizard Best BuildsCharizard Pokemon SWSH - Sylveon Best BuildsSylveon
Pokemon SWSH - Lucario Best BuildsLucario Pokemon SWSH - Hippowdon Best BuildsHippowdon Pokemon SWSH - Umbreon Best BuildsUmbreon
Pokemon SWSH - Conkeldurr Best BuildsConkeldurr Pokemon SWSH - Quagsire Best BuildsQuagsire Pokemon SWSH - Gastrodon Best BuildsGastrodon
Pokemon SWSH - Lapras Best BuildsLapras Pokemon SWSH - Whimsicott Best BuildsWhimsicott Pokemon SWSH - Rhyperior Best BuildsRhyperior
Pokemon SWSH - Goodra Best BuildsGoodra Pokemon SWSH - Haxorus Best BuildsHaxorus Pokemon SWSH - Glaceon Best BuildsGlaceon
Pokemon SWSH - Mow Rotom Best BuildsMow Rotom Pokemon SWSH - Type: Null Best BuildsType: Null Pokemon SWSH - Gengar Best BuildsGengar
Pokemon SWSH - Milotic Best BuildsMilotic Pokemon SWSH - Gardevoir Best BuildsGardevoir Pokemon SWSH - Flygon Best BuildsFlygon
Pokemon SWSH - Chandelure Best BuildsChandelure Pokemon SWSH - Lanturn Best BuildsLanturn Pokemon SWSH - Torkoal Best BuildsTorkoal
Pokemon SWSH - Bisharp Best BuildsBisharp Pokemon SWSH - Seismitoad Best BuildsSeismitoad Pokemon SWSH - Silvally Best BuildsSilvally
Pokemon SWSH - Butterfree  Best BuildsButterfree Pokemon SWSH - Primarina Best BuildsPrimarina Pokemon SWSH - Incineroar Best BuildsIncineroar
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Pokemon SWSH - Crawdaunt Best BuildsCrawdaunt Pokemon SWSH - Clefable Best BuildsClefable Pokemon SWSH - Reuniclus Best BuildsReuniclus
Pokemon SWSH - Kommo-o Best BuildsKommo-o Pokemon SWSH - Terrakion Best BuildsTerrakion Pokemon SWSH - Cobalion Best BuildsCobalion
Pokemon SWSH - Virizion Best BuildsVirizion Pokemon SWSH - Noivern Best BuildsNoivern Pokemon SWSH - Fan Rotom Best BuildsFan Rotom
Pokemon SWSH - Toxicroak Best BuildsToxicroak Pokemon SWSH - Pelipper Best BuildsPelipper Pokemon SWSH - Jellicent Best BuildsJellicent
Pokemon SWSH - Celebi Best BuildsCelebi Pokemon SWSH - Clefairy Best BuildsClefairy Pokemon SWSH - Hitmontop Best BuildsHitmontop
Pokemon SWSH - Diggersby Best BuildsDiggersby Pokemon SWSH - Ditto Best BuildsDitto Pokemon SWSH - Raichu Best BuildsRaichu
Pokemon SWSH - Hawlucha Best BuildsHawlucha Pokemon SWSH - Shiftry Best BuildsShiftry Pokemon SWSH - Tsareena Best BuildsTsareena
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