What is a good moveset for Alolan Ninetales?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Alolan Ninetales, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for its pre-evolutions, if any, can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Ninetales Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Ninetales-Alola (F) @ Light Clay / Icy Rock
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IV: 0 Atk
- Blizzard / Freeze Dry (Ice STAB)
- Moonblast (Fairy STAB)
- Aurora Veil (Excellent setup move)
- Encore (Prevents enemy from setting up for free)

Alolan Ninetales is one of, if not the most reliable setter of Aurora Veil, which is basically Reflect and Light Screen combined that can only be used in Hail. Thanks to her Hidden Ability, Snow Warning, she can set it up reliably first turn with her good base speed. The hail also boosts the accuracy of Blizzard to 100%. The choice between Blizzard and Freeze Dry depends on whether you want more power, or the ability to hit bulky Water types super effectively. You can OHKO Pelipper and Kingdra with Freeze Dry, thus making you a solid check to rain teams since you take away both their weather and force them out/kill them with Freeze Dry. Moonblast is good, reliable STAB, and Encore serves to lock enemies into unfavourable moves should they attempt to set up on you.

Comments

Ninetales can't learn Moonblast, and if you use PKHeX or something, you can't battle online.

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Maybe if you actually CHECKED if Ninetales could learn moonblast you would know beforehand that it can learn moonblast before making a comment. Ninetales can indeed learn moonblast through breeding with other pokemon.

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Alolan Ninetales can indeed use Moonblast.

Answer 2

Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Blizzard
- Moonblast
- Aurora Veil
- Calm Mind

The idea here is a bulky special wall, with a better typing than Kantonian Ninetales. Dies to Steel, but obviously you switch. Anyway, the idea here is be a wall that can hit hard. Two STAB moves, because one you can abuse with item/Hidden Ability, and the other helps you survive special hits (which is why Bold, and Defense EVs).

Comments

Good Job on the set. But I prefer Calm nature on it.

Answer 3

Here's my Showdown one:

Elegancy (Ninetales-Alola) (F) @Life Orb
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot (Good setup. (tysm, orange gaimer!))
- Ice Beam (STAB, 100 accuracy is very gooooooood...)
- Moonblast (STAB, very powerful move.)
- Psyshock (Since Ninetales-Alola cannot learn Psychic, this is still good to counter poison-types.)

Comments

Why use Calm Mind when you can use Nasty Plot on a Special Sweeper? You no need that Special Bulk on it. Also, you could add that Psyshock hits Chansey. Leftovers is useless on a Sweeper. Give it something like Life Orb.

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Calm Mind is good though. Ninetales is a special tank. Calm Mind raises both Sp.Atk and Sp.Def, which Nine needs.

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It's role is a Fast special sweeper. Not a tank.

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You mean the specific one above? I was just talking about alola nine in general.

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May want to consider Freeze Dry over Ice Beam.  The ability to Super Effective on Water types can be invaluable.

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Alternately, use Blizzard if it has Snow Warning as it'll have 100% accuracy in Hail

Answer 4

Ninetales-Alola (F) @ Never-Melt Ice / Life Orb / Icium Z
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Aurora Veil
- Blizzard
- Extrasensory / Hidden Power [Ground]
- Moonblast / Dazzling Gleam

No disrespect, but let me start by saying that holding items like Light Clay and Icy Rock seem to be a waste UNLESS you plan on throwing out more than one Ice Pokemon in which then, that may be useful. Why is that? Well, if people battled to battle and not switch out their Pokemon 30 times in one battle because they didn't train their Pokemon for coverage, then there is no need for the worry of running out of Snow Warning or Aurora Veil. With that said...if you threw out A-Nine (A-9), then most likely, the reason you threw her out was because the Pokemon in front of you may not survive a Blizzard or two.

Moving on... Aurora Veil should be the opener as it reduces both special attacks and physical attacks and partners well with Snow Warning. Blizzard hits like a train and has a (STAB). Extrasensory and Hidden Power [Ground] can cover weaknesses. That isn't a bad thing seeing as one of A-9's primary stats is speed... so she may actually go first and take a decent chunk out of anything that dares an attempt to prey on her. Do keep in mind that you may not get Hidden Power [Ground] as my HP would be Steel if I went with it. I fought someone and theirs was ground and Legolas21 posted ground so I guess it's possible and those two trainers are the only reason I am even posting HP as an option. Last could be Moonblast for single target battles OR Dazzling Gleam for Double or Triple Battles. SO, for those people out there that think Moonblast is a "given," it's not. Dazzling Gleam may not hit as hard as Moonblast, no, but it has way better coverage as far as hitting multiple Pokémon and can still cause some trouble for other teams or Pokemon weak to Fairy moves. Both moves also come equipped with a (STAB) and both depending on what you're doing are excellent choices.

There are many ways to build a Pokémon and many different people each have an opinion as I too, have mine. Good luck with all your builds. :-)

Answer 5

Ninetales-Alola (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Blizzard
- Moonblast
- Nasty Plot
- Extrasensory

Answer 6

Ninetales-Alola @ Icy Rock / Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
Nature: Modest / Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
- Blizzard / Freeze-Dry
- Moonblast
- Aurora Veil
- Encore / Calm Mind / Confuse Ray / Freeze-Dry

Move #1: Your choice of Ice STAB. Blizzard deals more damage and is 100% accuracy in Hail, but Freeze-Dry can KO some common threats with it being strong against Water.
Move #2: Fairy STAB
Move #3: Mandatory set-up move. Alolan Ninetales is nothing without it.
Move #4: Your choice, however you want to mess with your opponent.

Answer 7

Sweeper Set

Ninetales-Alola @ Life Orb / Focus Sash
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 Spe / 252 SpA / 4 Def
Timid Nature
- Blizzard
- Nasty Plot
- Moonblast
- Hidden Power [Ground]

Explanation: No Aurora Veil? A Hail Sweeper Alolan Ninetales can work. Blizzard is STAB and it has 100% accuracy in the hail + a chance to freeze the foe. Nasty Plot raises Special Attack by 2 Stages. Moonblast is also STAB and it has a chance to lower the foe's Special Attack by 1 stage. Hidden Power [Ground] covers all of Alolan Ninetales' Weaknesses. If you can't risk using a Life Orb on Ninetales, then use a Focus Sash.

Comments

Actually, Weevile can learn Poison Jab, and it can usually outspeed Alolan Ninetales, so...yeah, enough said

Answer 8

Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay / Never-Melt Ice
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Moonblast
- Freeze Dry / Blizzard
- Aurora Veil / Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse / Hidden Power [Ground]

Moonblast is a given.

Freeze-Dry is for the Water coverage, and better with the Never-Melt Ice. Otherwise, use Blizzard to work with Snow Warning.

Aurora Veil works with Snow Warning as well, and Light clay if you don't run Freeze-Dry. Without Light Clay, you can still keep it or use Nasty Plot as a boost.

Normally Shadow Ball is preferable to Dark Pulse, but as pulse is it's only option, and Fairy can cover Fighting, Dark Pulse is acceptable. Otherwise, a good coverage move like Hidden Power can fill the space.

By the way, all of its weaknesses are weak to Ground, so Hidden Power [Ground] is perfect.

Answer 9

Nickname: Dragon Slayer
The perfect nickname for your A-Ninetales being it's Ice and Fairy typing. Two types which are both super effective against Dragon types!

Ninetales-Alola @ Icy Rock
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Timid Nature
- Hypnosis (Night night)
- Nasty Plot (Sweep setup)
- Blizzard / Freeze-Dry (STAB)
- Moonblast (STAB)

You enter the battlefield; Snow Warning activates and a Hailstorm is summoned. Use Hypnosis first to put your enemy to sleep. Setup on them while they're asleep with Nasty Plot and you have a potential sweep on your hands with your two main STABs: Blizzard / Freeze-Dry and Moonblast! 

Comments

I like the move set! I think this can also work if someone did not have snow warning. All they need to do is replace Blizzard with ice beam
Edit: How do you get Hypnosis?

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Personally, Hypnosis is terrible for Ninetales! The accuracy is too low. If you want to run a Hypnosis Ninetales, do a Sash Timid Ninetales with SW for Aurora Veil. You'll take less damage from Mega/Life Orb Metagross. Aurora Veil is really good for Mons like Metagross (especially Mega because of the ability Tough Claws). I would also change Moonblast for Dazzling Gleam. Dazzling Gleam only does 5 attack less the Moonblast (MB: 95, DG: 90) and also hits two targets at the SAME time. This is my suggestion but you can use what you want really. I don't mean to judge you but this is my suggestion.

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Very good Tapu-Cocoa.

Answer 10

Ninetales-Alola (F) @ Icy Rock
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Aurora Veil
- Attract
- Moonblast
- Blizzard

Hope that this will help you.

Comments

Why on earth do you think Attract is a good move competitively?

Answer 11

Alolan Ninetales (F) @ Leppa Berry
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sheer Cold
- Freeze-Dry
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind

But use either these first:
Blaziken (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 34 Atk / 111 Def / 111 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Sp
- Hone Claws
- Double Team
- Protect
- Baton Pass

Ninjask (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Speed Boost
- Hone Claws
- Double Team
- Leech Life
- Baton Pass

Comments

Sheer cold, double team, and baton pass are all banned from every tier except for anything goes (AG)

Answer 12

Special Atacker with no Hidden Ability.

Ninetales-Alola (F) @ Icy Rock
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Hail (for Snow Cloak trigger)
- Moonblast (STAB)
- Blizzard (STAB + no miss in hailstorm)
- Aurora Veil (used in hail for Defense / Special Defense boost)

Comments

Why use Snow Cloak + Hail when Snow Warning is almost always better?

Answer 13

Ninetales-Alola @ Focus Sash
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 Spe / 252 SpA / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Blizzard (STAB and 100 accuracy in Hail)
- Ice Beam (simple move to attack)
- Dazzling Gleam (STAB #2)
- Aurora Veil (Weaken damage of physical moves from the opponent's side and great for defending against Life Orb/Mega Metagross)

I don't know if this is good so let me know. I'm skeptical about this.

Comments

lol funny pun, ut EV's?

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Yeah, what are it's EVs?

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You don't need 2 Ice moves, either.

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Why do you need Ice Beam when you have Blizzard? Why do you choose Dazzling Gleam over Moonblast?

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Only reason of Dazzling Gleam over Moonblast would be if the format is doubles.

Answer 14

Ninetales-Alola @ Icy Rock / Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 SpD / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Nature: Timid
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard / Freeze-Dry-STAB, if you want to KO water types then go Freeze-Dry
- Moonblast-STAB
- Nasty Plot-Raises SpA
- Aurora Veil-Protection for your team

Answer 15

My in S&M game Ninetales :D
Keokeo (Ninetales-Alolan) @ Never-Melt Ice
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam (STAB, is more powerful due to the Never-Melt Ice)
- Dazzling Gleam (Again, nice STAB)
- Extrasensory (For Poison coverage)
- Dark Pulse

Hope you like it
-S&M Out

Answer 16

Gen 8 OU

Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

• Blizzard
• Moonblast
• Aurora Veil
• Nasty Plot

Blizzard is very powerful Ice-type STAB that never misses in hail, which is set by Alolan Ninetales' Snow Warning. Moonblast is STAB. Aurora Veil is team support and helps enable set up from monsters like Blaziken, Garchomp, Buzzwole, and Spectrier. Speaking of set up, Nasty Plot doubles Alolan Ninetale's Special Attack and makes it much easier for it to sweep or break holes in the opposition.