Alolan Ninetales - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

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
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Alolan Ninetales

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Alolan Ninetales
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
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage	-
Takes 0x damage

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.

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.

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

Weakness

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	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can KO Alolan Ninetales due to the Speed and Type advantage. Moveset & Best Build for Cinderace
Metagross	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Bullet Punch can OTK Alolan Ninetails due to the 4x effectiveness Moveset & Best Build for Metagross
Heatran	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	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	Ranking: ★★★★☆ ・Its typing allows it to withstand Alolan Ninetales' learnable moves Moveset & Best Build for Torkoal

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

Best Builds for Returning Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Snorlax	Charizard	Sylveon
Lucario	Hippowdon	Umbreon
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Gastrodon
Lapras	Whimsicott	Rhyperior
Goodra	Haxorus	Glaceon
Mow Rotom	Type: Null	Gengar
Milotic	Gardevoir	Flygon
Chandelure	Lanturn	Torkoal
Bisharp	Seismitoad	Silvally
Butterfree	Primarina	Incineroar
Blastoise	Decidueye	Venusaur
Darmanitan	Alolan Ninetales	Gothitelle
Crawdaunt	Clefable	Reuniclus
Kommo-o	Terrakion	Cobalion
Virizion	Noivern	Fan Rotom
Toxicroak	Pelipper	Jellicent
Celebi	Clefairy	Hitmontop
Diggersby	Ditto	Raichu
Hawlucha	Shiftry	Tsareena
Ludicolo

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle ## Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

Best Builds for Returning Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Snorlax	Charizard	Sylveon
Lucario	Hippowdon	Umbreon
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Gastrodon
Lapras	Whimsicott	Rhyperior
Goodra	Haxorus	Glaceon
Mow Rotom	Type: Null	Gengar
Milotic	Gardevoir	Flygon
Chandelure	Lanturn	Torkoal
Bisharp	Seismitoad	Silvally
Butterfree	Primarina	Incineroar
Blastoise	Decidueye	Venusaur
Darmanitan	Alolan Ninetales	Gothitelle
Crawdaunt	Clefable	Reuniclus
Kommo-o	Terrakion	Cobalion
Virizion	Noivern	Fan Rotom
Toxicroak	Pelipper	Jellicent
Celebi	Clefairy	Hitmontop
Diggersby	Ditto	Raichu
Hawlucha	Shiftry	Tsareena
Ludicolo