Pokemon is a beloved series that fans worldwide enjoy casually in their downtime or more competitively with online battles. Play! Pokemon hosts the international Pokemon Video Game Championships (VGC) yearly, and many participants meticulously plan out their battle strategy and team choice. There are a few ways to build a Pokemon team, but one common way is a Hail team.

Hail teams are made up of Pokemon, moves, or abilities that are affected by it hailing on the battlefield. Weather conditions can make massive changes to Pokemon performance, and players can take advantage of it with the right Pokemon choice. So, instead of freezing up, harness the power of ice in the Pokemon VGC by building the best Hail team.

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Setting Up Hail

Hail teams' priority is ensuring they have a way to set it up. There are a couple of ways to stir up a hailstorm. In gameplay, the actual weather can make it hail in battle. In Pokemon VGC matches, the best method is leading with a Pokemon that knows the ability Snow Warning. As soon as a Pokemon with this ability enters the field, it causes a hailstorm for 5 turns.

Some moves can make it Hail too. First, the move Hail, simply named, brings on a hailstorm for 5 turns. Alternatively, if a Dynamaxed Pokemon knows an Ice-type move, it gets access to the move Max Hailstorm which has the same effects as Snow Warning. If the user holds an Icy Rock, the storm continues for 8 turns rather than 5.

How Does Hail Effect The Field

Hailing in Pokemon isn't just a hailstorm; it makes pretty significant changes to both Pokemon and the battlefield. Hail has the following effects:

• Unless immune, ice causes damage to all Pokemon on the field.
• It activates abilities.
• Changes move stats.
  • Allows Blizzard to bypass accuracy checks.
  • Solar Beam and Solar Blade's power is cut in half.

• Recovery moves that use the sun only heal 1/4 HP.

How To Build A Hail Team Core

In competitive matches, a common phrase heard is Core. A Core is a team's main two to three Pokemon that set up different battle strategies. In other words, a Hail team core is the muscle behind the storm. For example, Alolan Ninetales, Abomasnow, Vanilluxe, and Aurorus are all Pokemon with Snow Warning. Having one or two of them on a team is a good start. Using a Pokemon that can learn the move Hail or Max Hailstorm yields more options. Many Water-type Pokemon, including popular VGC picks such as Gyarados and Blastoise, can learn it by TM.

Pokemon with the ability Slush Rush should find a place on all Hail teams. Slush Rush doubles the user's Speed stat in a hailstorm. So bulkier Ice-types will also have speed on their side when taking the offense. Alolan Sandslash and Beartic are the go-to options for this ability, so players can use their Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) moves well.

Lastly, players can utilize Hail in more supportive roles with the ability Ice Body or the move Aurora Veil. Ice Body restores a small amount of HP to its users at the end of every turn when it is hailing. Walrein is the best Pokemon to use in this way and can act as a defensive Wall due to its high HP stat, but it still has decent STAB moves to use if it comes down to it. Aurora Veil can only be used when it is hailing and sets up a protective wall that lessens the damage from Physical and Special Attacks for the user and its team.

Potential Hail Team Weaknesses

All good things come at a price, and using a Hail team is no exception. Due to the likelihood of using predominantly Ice-type Pokemon, Hail teams are vulnerable to a few different types:

• Fire
• Rock
• Fighting
• Steel

Players should consider Pokemon that can help protect against Hail team weaknesses. Tapu Fini is a fantastic choice to counter Rock and Fire types because of its dual Water/Fairy typing. While it may seem counterproductive to a Hail team, including a Fire-type is an excellent way to handle Steel. Either Infernape or Incineroar would do the job well, but Incineroar also has the ability Intimidate under its belt, making it double as a support Pokemon.

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