The Rise of Ice-types in NatDex!

By adem. Released: 2022/09/26.
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natdex ice types

Art by Pissog.

Introduction

Ice-types in National Dex have turned from respectable and decently threatening options into offensive behemoths, with some players even regarding the two main culprits as potentially banworthy. Weavile has always been a solid Pokémon throughout the recent generations, trapping the notorious Psychic-types such as Latios and Mega Metagross in ORAS, as well as Tapu Lele and Mega Latias in USM. Kyurem, on the other hand, had more of a rocky start, being a decent, but quite niche, choice in both prior generations and only rising to prominence later into Generation 8. However, neither of these Pokémon have been as feared or as dominant in a metagame as they are currently in National Dex OU. So what turned them from decent Pokémon into the feared-by-all monsters that we see in the tier today?

Kyurem

Kyurem has had one of the most notorious rises to infamy, simply due to gaining one important move: Freeze-Dry. This allowed it to break through would-be checks such as Slowking, Tapu Fini, and Rotom-W consistently, giving it a near-unresisted move combination, and contributed greatly to its ban from SS OU. However, in National Dex, it is a different story, with the overall increased power level and the prevalence of strong revenge killers such as Mega Lopunny, Mega Scizor, and Mega Medicham making it much harder for Kyurem to mow down teams. The increased bulk of the tier also makes it much more prediction reliant. On the other hand, Kyurem also has new ways to break through its checks such as Hidden Power and Z-Moves. The former lets it surprise and power through its best check in Scizor, as well as other checks like specially defensive Ferrothorn, and the latter gives it an all-around nuke to break most of its other checks after minor chip damage. Early-used Kyurem sets such as Choice Specs and SubRoost gave it its breakthrough and put it in the spotlight this generation, but as the meta developed, new sets such as Never-Melt Ice and Icium Z became much more popular options, and even Dragon Dance sets popped up occasionally. Nonetheless, these new toys do not push Kyurem over the edge like in other Generation 8 metagames and actually turn it to a healthy yet powerful force that is not to be underestimated.

Past Sets

SubRoost

kyurem

With the introduction of Heavy-Duty Boots and the addition of Freezy-Dry, SubRoost Kyurem was what started the Kyurem wave in National Dex. The combination of Substitute + Pressure and an extremely high base HP stat let Kyurem take advantage of common special walls such as Blissey, Slowking, and Toxapex to set up a Substitute cleanly in their face. Checks to this Kyurem set were few and far between, as most would-be checks were PP stalled in the long run Metronome gave it the ability to break through Pokémon like Corviknight and Ferrothorn much more quickly. The given EV spread gives Kyurem 405 HP, which prevents Seismic Toss from breaking its Substitute.

Choice Specs

kyurem

Choice Specs Kyurem was a menace early on and started Kyurem's rise to fame; it was the set that most people felt pushed it to banworthy territory. Due to its plethora of coverage options, this set was pretty much impossible to switch into barring a few outliers such as Chansey, Blissey, and a well-played Mega Scizor. However, the former two could easily be overwhelmed by two well-timed Focus Blasts on the switch with Stealth Rock up. Furthermore, Mega Scizor was incinerated by Hidden Power Fire variants, and Focus Blast also threatens to 2HKO it. Additionally, due to Kyurem's obscene bulk, Mega Scizor doesn't even KO it back with its unboosted Bullet Punch. However, this set's lack of longevity, which is further compounded by its Stealth Rock weakness, is its downfall, as it makes it easy to overpower and easily punished if it makes the wrong play.

Current Sets

Never-Melt Ice

kyurem

Imagine having the consistent power of Choice Specs while retaining the ability to switch moves and benefit from Roost. This monster of a set got the ball rolling on Kyurem, and it spilled over from SS OU to NatDex. While Choice Specs sets had mildly higher power, they were very prediction reliant, and Kyurem's Stealth Rock weakness meant they were easy to wear down and prevent it from making progress with proper prediction. This set changed everything, as dancing around its moves was extremely difficult; outside of hard walls like Mega Scizor and Blissey, everything was getting dented, and it was impossible to switch into safely. Never-Melt Ice alongside a Modest nature meant even neutral hits from its Ice-type STAB attacks dented its switch-ins, so even the likes of Ferrothorn and Corviknight were easily 2HKOed after minor chip. This Kyurem set can also easily employ Magnezone alongside it to instantly eliminate Mega Scizor and remove the need for playing the long game against Corviknight and Ferrothorn.

Icium Z

kyurem

This Kyurem set was a much more recent development and gained popularity post-NDPL 2. Trading the Never-Melt Ice set's more consistent damage output, Icium Z provides this set with a one-time nuke, letting it beat checks such as Clefable and Corviknight with a Subzero Slammer. Furthermore, this sets beats Mega Scizor with Hidden Power Fire and OHKOes Ferrothorn after minor chip damage, which also removes the need for running Mangezone alongside it. Overall, this set has proven to be more consistent due to the large influx in popularity of Mega Scizor, as well as Never-Melt Ice-boosted Ice Beam's consistent damage generally being less useful with Corviknight on a downtrend popularity-wise.

Weavile

Weavile has been a solid offensive Pokémon for multiple generations, generally sporting a Choice Band to utilize its extremely spammable STAB attacks and providing invaluable team support by removing powerful Psychic- and Ghost-types like Latios, Alakazam, and Blacephalon with Pursuit. Rarely, it would also run a Swords Dance set, although this set became much more common with Generation 8 and the fabled Heavy-Duty Boots, eliminating its major Stealth Rock weakness and letting it come in and set up repeatedly throughout the match. However, in National Dex, Darkinium Z has quickly eclipsed Heavy-Duty Boots as the better set, as while the Stealth Rock weakness is back into play, now Weavile gets a one-time nuke move that eliminates would-be checks such as Toxapex, Melmetal, and even heavily-chipped Tapu Fini. However, Weavile's frailty and lack of defensive utility, as well as the previously mentioned susceptibility to Stealth Rock, dampen its prowess slightly. In spite of that, these issues don't even get close to outshining its strengths, making it one of the most notable threats in the tier.

Choice Band

weavile

Choice Band has been the primary Weavile set for generations, and for good reason. Both its STAB attacks are extremely spammable, with Triple Axel's high Base Power annihilating would-be checks like Skarmory and Clefable; Icicle Crash, on the other hand, lets it cheese past the aforementioned checks with flinches, and due to its non-contact nature, it reduces the need for Weavile to first remove Rocky Helmet with Knock Off. Avoiding other contact effects such as Zapdos's Static and Ferrothorn's Iron Barbs is also a big draw for Icicle Crash. Knock Off's unique item removing effect means it almost always forces progress on the opposing team and makes it much safer for Weavile to use Triple Axel with Rocky Helmet removed from Skarmory, Clefable, and Ferrothorn. Pursuit is an amazing asset for Choice Band Weavile, as it threatens to remove Psychic-types such as Mega Latias, Tapu Lele, and Victini, as well as chip or finish off weakened Pokémon that it forces out like Zapdos and Kartana. Ice Shard lets Weavile revenge kill faster threats such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Mega Garchomp, as well as the likes of Mega Lopunny and Tapu Koko when they have been chipped.

Swords Dance + Z Move

weavile

Swords Dance Weavile trades in the former's more consistent damage output and utility in Pursuit and Knock Off for a powerful one-time nuke with Darkinium Z Throat Chop, as well as the ability to potentially clean late-game more consistently. Weavile's boosted Black Hole Eclipse instantly removes would-be consistent checks to it such as Toxapex, Skarmory, and a chipped Tapu Fini. Throat Chop is the preferred Dark-type STAB move due to its higher Base Power with the Z Crystal. Icicle Crash is the preferred Ice-type STAB move due to its higher accuracy and consistency; since Swords Dance Weavile does not carry Pursuit to trap Mega Latias, it does not need Triple Axel’s raw Base Power to force it out. Furthermore, most checks that Choice Band-boosted Triple Axel would normally break fall to boosted Icicle Crashes or Black Hole Eclipse. Triple Axel is still a viable option, as the extra power is always helpful, and it can be useful against the likes of Clefable. Boosted Ice Shard lets Weavile quickly clean late-game, as it doesn't take much chip for things to fall to it.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, Ice-types have seen a phenomenal rise in viability over the recent generations, and in NatDex it's clear that they are an important and dominating force in the metagame. Ice as a type has proved itself as one of the most threatening and influential offensive types throughout NatDex, as these Pokémon have reigned terror since very early on in the tier and punished ill-prepared teams due to their immense offensive prowess. With how much the Ice type as a whole has improved this generation, we hope to see it keep up this pace and reach even higher heights with new additions and discoveries in the future!

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