Frosty Fanroom
Art that I made myself
Introduction
Well, how do we do? It's Christmas in November!...well that's what working retail in the United States will make you think the day after Halloween.
Now that we are at the end of Generation 8, I shall finally present my team that I refer to as: Frosty Fanroom for RMT. Frosty Fanroom is the ultimate pinnacle of Hail-based Trick Room strategy as well as the Generation 8 successor to the line of "Fanroom" teams that began in Generation 6. This team was built originally back in January this year, after I had decided to return to playing DOU tournaments again after 7 years. Since then, like Fanroom-Classic before it, It has been my sole team that I have constantly refined. You may ask why a player like me chooses to build just one team every generation, someone who can qualify for the Doubles OU Invitationals. Well, we all have different ways we like to play this game; if it is the "Smogon way" to build a hundred teams, that you could never possibly be counter-teamed in a game and always win, then Fanroom is a rejection of that philosophy. The goal of Fanroom is self-contained: to achieve its own imperfect perfection.
It is kind of hard to describe how I made Frosty Fanroom in the first place. it's just something that happend during my attempts to brainstorm a new Fanroom Trick Room team after I had returned to DOU from a 7 year absence since ORAS DOU. Originally I had Landorus-I and Porygon2 over both Nercrozma and Indeedee-F. However when I had swapped over to Psyspam, I knew I had struck a true "Fanroom" team, and the rest is history.
The Team: The King's Court
Frosty Fanroom can easily be described as a "Hail Psyspam" team, a relatively unique, if occasionally unstable team combination. The team was created from the idea of maximizing the usual bulk that a Trick Room team possesses with the help of the move Aurora Veil which Hail can provide. It was one of several trick room team ideas I made at the time and it somehow managed to come out on top of the others. To explore how the team is successful we can look at the members of the team individually.
Ninetales-Alola: The Queen
QUEEN (Ninetales-Alola) (F) @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 92 HP / 164 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aurora Veil
- Blizzard
- Encore
- Protect
A pivotal member of the team, Her Majesty Queen Ninetales of Alola provides the ability "Snow Warning" which will summon upon the battlefield a great hail. This hail is what allows Ninetales to use the move Aurora Veil and in conjunction with Light Clay will set the veil for 8 turns. The defensive boosts provided by Aurora Veil (which functions as both having Reflect and Light Screen) are the backbone to Frosty Fanrooms primary operations. This makes it significantly easier for the other team members to survive attacks making Trick Room easier to set up. Ninetales-A isn't just useful for Aurora Veil only, they also provide useful Blizzard spam (which can score a decisive freeze if lucky) as well as using encore on opponents using status moves or other attacking moves that would be safer for the other teammates.
Art that I made myself
Introduction
Well, how do we do? It's Christmas in November!...well that's what working retail in the United States will make you think the day after Halloween.
Now that we are at the end of Generation 8, I shall finally present my team that I refer to as: Frosty Fanroom for RMT. Frosty Fanroom is the ultimate pinnacle of Hail-based Trick Room strategy as well as the Generation 8 successor to the line of "Fanroom" teams that began in Generation 6. This team was built originally back in January this year, after I had decided to return to playing DOU tournaments again after 7 years. Since then, like Fanroom-Classic before it, It has been my sole team that I have constantly refined. You may ask why a player like me chooses to build just one team every generation, someone who can qualify for the Doubles OU Invitationals. Well, we all have different ways we like to play this game; if it is the "Smogon way" to build a hundred teams, that you could never possibly be counter-teamed in a game and always win, then Fanroom is a rejection of that philosophy. The goal of Fanroom is self-contained: to achieve its own imperfect perfection.
It is kind of hard to describe how I made Frosty Fanroom in the first place. it's just something that happend during my attempts to brainstorm a new Fanroom Trick Room team after I had returned to DOU from a 7 year absence since ORAS DOU. Originally I had Landorus-I and Porygon2 over both Nercrozma and Indeedee-F. However when I had swapped over to Psyspam, I knew I had struck a true "Fanroom" team, and the rest is history.
The Team: The King's Court
Frosty Fanroom can easily be described as a "Hail Psyspam" team, a relatively unique, if occasionally unstable team combination. The team was created from the idea of maximizing the usual bulk that a Trick Room team possesses with the help of the move Aurora Veil which Hail can provide. It was one of several trick room team ideas I made at the time and it somehow managed to come out on top of the others. To explore how the team is successful we can look at the members of the team individually.
Ninetales-Alola: The Queen
QUEEN (Ninetales-Alola) (F) @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 92 HP / 164 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aurora Veil
- Blizzard
- Encore
- Protect
A pivotal member of the team, Her Majesty Queen Ninetales of Alola provides the ability "Snow Warning" which will summon upon the battlefield a great hail. This hail is what allows Ninetales to use the move Aurora Veil and in conjunction with Light Clay will set the veil for 8 turns. The defensive boosts provided by Aurora Veil (which functions as both having Reflect and Light Screen) are the backbone to Frosty Fanrooms primary operations. This makes it significantly easier for the other team members to survive attacks making Trick Room easier to set up. Ninetales-A isn't just useful for Aurora Veil only, they also provide useful Blizzard spam (which can score a decisive freeze if lucky) as well as using encore on opponents using status moves or other attacking moves that would be safer for the other teammates.
For reference to how powerful Aurora Veil can be, I provided some calcs to demonstrate its effectiveness:
Necrozma vs Genesect (Choice Band with +1 attack boost from download)
with
+1 252 Atk Choice Band Genesect U-turn vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Prism Armor Necrozma with an ally's Aurora Veil: 240-283 (60.3 - 71.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Possible damage amounts: (240, 243, 246, 249, 252, 255, 256, 259, 262, 265, 268, 271, 274, 277, 280, 283)
without
+1 252 Atk Choice Band Genesect U-turn vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Prism Armor Necrozma: 360-424 (90.4 - 106.5%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
Possible damage amounts: (360, 364, 369, 373, 378, 382, 384, 388, 393, 397, 402, 406, 411, 415, 420, 424)
Heatran vs Metagross (Ground type attack)
252+ Atk Metagross Stomping Tantrum vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran with an ally's Aurora Veil: 235-277 (60.8 - 71.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Possible damage amounts: (235, 237, 240, 243, 245, 248, 251, 253, 256, 259, 261, 264, 267, 269, 272, 277)
NOTE: Heatran can survive all Ground type attacks from all enemies with the exception of actual Ground types (Specifically Landorus-I and Choice Band Zygarde) if aurora veil is up
How it is Used
Ninetales-A is often the first pokemon sent out in a vast majority of games. Getting up Aurora Veil as early as possible is the best way to minimize the total damage that if inflicted to Frosty Fanroom. However most skill players will usually try to prevent this by killing Ninetales early. Often times fast sweepers like Scarf Genesect or prankster taunters such as Whimsicott will be sent out in an effort to thwart Aurora Veil (note genesect can only outspeed with a choice scarf, while the meta moves towards choice band genesect more at the moment, players using slower genesect will still try to bait with it). Usually it is important to decide who to pair with Ninetales in order to guarantee her survival. Amoongus is a common partner, being bulky to survive many attacks and provide redirection in the form of Rage Powder. Indeedee-F can prevent Whimsicott from taunting. Heatran is a riskier choice to lead with but is good for punishing Genesect if you can safely use it. It should also be noted that while setting up Aurora Veil and then letting Ninetales faint is perfectly fine sometimes, it can be worth it to preserve her for the late game as often times being able to set up veil again after it has lifted, or encoring a pokemon that protected on the last turn of trick room, or just generally providing the ability to kill a weakened pokemon with its high speed of 109 can be decisive. Do note that you shouldn't ALWAYS lead with Ninetales every matchup, certain matchups like opposing weathers will require you to use a different lead, so think smart if you plan on using Frosty Fanroom.
Kyurem: Old King Cold
KING (Kyurem) @ Chople Berry
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Earth Power
- Freeze-Dry
- Protect
The King himself, Kyurem is able to make further use of the Hail provided by Ninetales-A as an offensive Blizzard spammer. Blizzard is a very powerful spread attack that can also potentially freeze an enemy that will never miss during Hail. Unprepared foes will be put to rout by the King's power and brilliance, especially those such as the nefarious grass monkey Rillaboom. In addition, Kyurem's Freeze Dry can hit water types super effectively which can be vital in fighting off Tapu Fini, Urshifu and Rain teams. Earth Power to counter resistant steel and fire types such as Heatran, Metagross and Volcanion. The King serves his role as the teams main "Non-Trick Room" attacker, being the only Pokemon along with Ninetales-A running max speed.
Why use Kyurem's Base form over Kyurem-Black?
Ninetales-A is often the first pokemon sent out in a vast majority of games. Getting up Aurora Veil as early as possible is the best way to minimize the total damage that if inflicted to Frosty Fanroom. However most skill players will usually try to prevent this by killing Ninetales early. Often times fast sweepers like Scarf Genesect or prankster taunters such as Whimsicott will be sent out in an effort to thwart Aurora Veil (note genesect can only outspeed with a choice scarf, while the meta moves towards choice band genesect more at the moment, players using slower genesect will still try to bait with it). Usually it is important to decide who to pair with Ninetales in order to guarantee her survival. Amoongus is a common partner, being bulky to survive many attacks and provide redirection in the form of Rage Powder. Indeedee-F can prevent Whimsicott from taunting. Heatran is a riskier choice to lead with but is good for punishing Genesect if you can safely use it. It should also be noted that while setting up Aurora Veil and then letting Ninetales faint is perfectly fine sometimes, it can be worth it to preserve her for the late game as often times being able to set up veil again after it has lifted, or encoring a pokemon that protected on the last turn of trick room, or just generally providing the ability to kill a weakened pokemon with its high speed of 109 can be decisive. Do note that you shouldn't ALWAYS lead with Ninetales every matchup, certain matchups like opposing weathers will require you to use a different lead, so think smart if you plan on using Frosty Fanroom.
Kyurem: Old King Cold
KING (Kyurem) @ Chople Berry
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Earth Power
- Freeze-Dry
- Protect
The King himself, Kyurem is able to make further use of the Hail provided by Ninetales-A as an offensive Blizzard spammer. Blizzard is a very powerful spread attack that can also potentially freeze an enemy that will never miss during Hail. Unprepared foes will be put to rout by the King's power and brilliance, especially those such as the nefarious grass monkey Rillaboom. In addition, Kyurem's Freeze Dry can hit water types super effectively which can be vital in fighting off Tapu Fini, Urshifu and Rain teams. Earth Power to counter resistant steel and fire types such as Heatran, Metagross and Volcanion. The King serves his role as the teams main "Non-Trick Room" attacker, being the only Pokemon along with Ninetales-A running max speed.
Why use Kyurem's Base form over Kyurem-Black?
252 SpA Teravolt Kyurem-Black Freeze-Dry vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 324-384 (95 - 112.6%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
Possible damage amounts: (324, 330, 332, 336, 338, 344, 348, 350, 356, 360, 362, 366, 372, 374, 378, 384)
and
252+ Atk Teravolt Kyurem-Black Fusion Bolt vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 294-346 (86.2 - 101.4%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
Possible damage amounts: (294, 296, 300, 304, 306, 310, 314, 318, 320, 324, 328, 332, 334, 338, 342, 346)
vs
252 SpA Kyurem Freeze-Dry vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 344-408 (100.8 - 119.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Possible damage amounts: (344, 348, 354, 356, 362, 366, 368, 374, 378, 380, 386, 390, 392, 398, 402, 408)
How it is used
Kyurem is a useful pokemon when it has proper matchups. Often time I find its blizzard spam can be useful in late game scenarios with weakened pokemon, however it can still be useful early game as well granted most of the opponents counters for it are checked. Often times Kyurem must make predictive plays using Freeze-Dry and Earth Power, most Pokemon that resist Blizzard are usually weak to one of the two. Urshifu in particular can be caught and OHKOd this way. There will be times where you can just spam Blizzard however even if the opponents have plenty of resistances, this will still provide chip damage (in addition to hail chip) as well as potential Freeze opportunities. The current set runs Chopple Berry to enable Kyurem to win 1v1s vs Urshifu as well as defeat other troublesome Fighting types such as Pheramoas and Libero High Jump Kick Cinderace. However, more REGAL users will use a Kings Rock to increase the spam effectiveness of Kyurem's Blizzard attack (as well as make him look very fashionable)
Necrozma: The loyal Bishop
BISHOP (Necrozma) @ Power Herb
Ability: Prism Armor
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 13 Spe
- Expanding Force
- Earth Power
- Meteor Beam
- Trick Room
The loyal bishop and the highest ranking authority on DOU Mishology within Frosty Fanroom, Necrozma is one of the team's premier sources of damage as well as the primary source of Trick Room (It's where the room in Fanroom comes from). Necrozma is the best Psyspam Pokemon in DOU with a high Special Attack of 127 and the valuable Prism Armor ability. Prism Armor's increased resistance to Super Effective attacks combined with Aurora Veil can all but nullify any possibility of Necrozma being KO'd before it can set up Trick Room, this is where the true power of Frosty Fanroom comes into play. With the help of Indeedee-F setting Psychic Terrain, Necrozma can unleash the powerful Expanding Force that can easily shred through teams without resistances. Additionally Meteor beam (combined with Power Herb) can make the damage output of Expanding Force even more powerful thanks to its +1 boost to special attack as well as provide a useful move that can hit Incineroar. And Earth Power as usual can deal with resistant Steel types as well as Pokemon like Incineroar and Tyranitar.
How it is used
I usually like to play Necrozma cautiously, while it may be easy to set up Trick Room turn 1 without Aurora Veil, its entirely possible for the opponent to chip away just enough of Necrozma's health for it to be defeated once Trick Room ends. Often, the opponents main way to deal with Necrozma is to wait out Trick Room, while maybe hitting a it a few times, then to KO it when its vulnerable after it ends. So understanding when to send out Necrozma is key to using Frosty Fanroom. I like to use him often after setting Aurora Veil and using Indeedee-F to take a hit, allowing him to safely switch in. Try to use Heatran in conjunction during Trick Room to cover Steel types and other resistant Pokemon.
Indeedee-Female, Distracting Psychic Castle
ROOK (Indeedee-F) @ Eject Button
Ability: Psychic Surge
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Follow Me
- Expanding Force
- Psychic Terrain
- Protect
Indeedee-Female is a supreme support Pokemon, setting Psychic Terrain and providing Follow Me support to protect other team members. Though Indeedee-F faulters in combat often, Indeedee itself rarely ever actually uses its own Expanding Force attack most of the time, this is because most opponents switch in their Psychic-Resists when Necrozma is on the field. Despite this, Indeedee can still win a game if given a good opportunity to use Expanding Force. A rather unique move compared to most Psyspam Indeedee-F sets is the presence of the manual terrain setting Psychic Terrain move. This allows indeedee to reset the terrain to Psychic Terrain if an enemy Rillaboom or Tapu Fini are sent out without having to switch back in. This can be helpful vs Hazard stack teams in reducing switching. It should also be noted that Necrozma has 13 speed IVs allowing Indeedee-F to outspeed it during Trick Room so that Necrozma can use Expanding Force the turn Tapu Fini or Rillaboom switch in.
How it is used
Indeedee-F is a fairly weak Pokemon offensively so a majority of the time it is used to switch terrains and redirect attacks and generally just sacrifice itself for the rest of the team. Despite this Indeedee can still threaten pokemon like Urshifu on its own. Indeedee-F carries an Eject Button which can help win the Terrain battle (which can easily be activated through using follow me). Keep in check terrain setters on the opponents team to know when to switch out or when to use Psychic Terrain to set it manually. Remember to know when to use Indeedee over Amoongus. While Amoongus is a bulkier and safer redirector that can also provide spores, certain Pokemon such as Zeraora, that out-speed Nintetales and posses both Fake out and Taunt or Prankster taunters like Whimsicott can only really be checked by Indeedee.
Heatran: Knight of the Flame
KNIGHT (Heatran) (M) @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Eruption
- Protect
Unfortunately, as great as having a snow day every day is with Frosty Fanroom, sometimes it gets too cold and I need something to keep me warm. Sir Heatran provides the fiery doom that is Eruption to all opposing steel types that threat the main STAB of the other team members. Full power Eruption is one of the best ways to sweep during Trick Room. Most Heatran on other Psyspam teams tend to run 252 speed EVs (some those teams also tend to carry Tailwind in addition to Trick Room as well). However, on Frosty Fanroom, Heatran uses a rare 252 HP EVs set in order to benefit from the defensive buffs of Aurora Veil. Another unique addition is the Saftey Goggles item. While Heatran do occasionally run Saftey Goggles to counter Amoongus and that is true here, the Saftey Goggles are also crucial to preventing Heatran from taking chip damage from Hail itself. That chip damage will slowly weaken Heatran's Eruption so this is a rather unique scenario of Saftey Goggles being used for a situation other than just countering Amoongus during Trick Room.
How it is used
Heatran may seem straight forward, set up trick room, send in, spam eruption, but using it often requires caution. For one, it may be bulky, but a single ground type move without Aurora Veil support will put it in the ground. Often times knowing when to send out Heatran and when not to is the most important thing to consider, as shallow as that advice is. And preserving Heatran is very important too, often times without Heatran, pokemon such as Genesect and Ferrothorn can cakewalk the rest of Frosty Fanroom and having that late game Heatran to discourage those types of Pokemon really helps.
Amoongus: Old school Pawn
PAWN (Amoonguss) (M) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 92 Def / 168 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Pollen Puff
- Spore
- Rage Powder
- Clear Smog
Amoongus is the oldest member of Frosty Fanroom, and the only remaining member of the legendary "Fanroom Classic" of yore. Despite this, Amoongus provides the same tried and true tactics that he did in the past, Sleep and Redirection support. With how overpowered the sleep status can be, Amoongus' role can be further amplified by Aurora Veil given that Amoongus itself is already a fairly bulky Pokemon. In addition, Pollen Puff can provide healing to its allies. This can make Frosty Fanroom a truly unkillable force if the circumstances line up properly. While running Protect would be useful in many specific matchups, especially vs fake out and taunt Pokemon, I prefer to run Clear Smog as a way to deal with set up Pokemon. Given that Frosty Fanroom uses a total of Six Special Attackers, any Calm Mind abusers, particularly Tapu Fini, can become unkillable without it. It also helps with minor set up Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Kyurem and Spectrier and it can also be useful for disposing of Whimsicott as an attacking move.
How it is used
Amoongus is usually a good Pokemon to lead with in most situations since it can redirect and spore most of the opponets major offensive Pokemon. This set uses an Occa berry as a means to counter speed control + devastating fire types such as Heatran with Tailwind support or Choice Scarf or even something like Cinderace. While lacking a Sitrus berry may make it easier to be KO'd by the opponent, often times being able to send in Amoongus in Trick Room vs Torkoal or even vs Sun Eruption Heatran knowing it cannot be OHKO'd really can save games. Using Pollen Puff to heal an ally can be useful for punishing an opponent using protect or switching into Tapu Fini/Spore Immune Pokemon.
Threats and Counters
Tragically, as much as I try to perfect Frosty Fanroom, it is not perfect, and there are many common threats in the tier that can really give the team a hard time, some of which it may not even be able to defeat.
The Godzilla in the roomKyurem is a useful pokemon when it has proper matchups. Often time I find its blizzard spam can be useful in late game scenarios with weakened pokemon, however it can still be useful early game as well granted most of the opponents counters for it are checked. Often times Kyurem must make predictive plays using Freeze-Dry and Earth Power, most Pokemon that resist Blizzard are usually weak to one of the two. Urshifu in particular can be caught and OHKOd this way. There will be times where you can just spam Blizzard however even if the opponents have plenty of resistances, this will still provide chip damage (in addition to hail chip) as well as potential Freeze opportunities. The current set runs Chopple Berry to enable Kyurem to win 1v1s vs Urshifu as well as defeat other troublesome Fighting types such as Pheramoas and Libero High Jump Kick Cinderace. However, more REGAL users will use a Kings Rock to increase the spam effectiveness of Kyurem's Blizzard attack (as well as make him look very fashionable)
Necrozma: The loyal Bishop
BISHOP (Necrozma) @ Power Herb
Ability: Prism Armor
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 13 Spe
- Expanding Force
- Earth Power
- Meteor Beam
- Trick Room
The loyal bishop and the highest ranking authority on DOU Mishology within Frosty Fanroom, Necrozma is one of the team's premier sources of damage as well as the primary source of Trick Room (It's where the room in Fanroom comes from). Necrozma is the best Psyspam Pokemon in DOU with a high Special Attack of 127 and the valuable Prism Armor ability. Prism Armor's increased resistance to Super Effective attacks combined with Aurora Veil can all but nullify any possibility of Necrozma being KO'd before it can set up Trick Room, this is where the true power of Frosty Fanroom comes into play. With the help of Indeedee-F setting Psychic Terrain, Necrozma can unleash the powerful Expanding Force that can easily shred through teams without resistances. Additionally Meteor beam (combined with Power Herb) can make the damage output of Expanding Force even more powerful thanks to its +1 boost to special attack as well as provide a useful move that can hit Incineroar. And Earth Power as usual can deal with resistant Steel types as well as Pokemon like Incineroar and Tyranitar.
How it is used
I usually like to play Necrozma cautiously, while it may be easy to set up Trick Room turn 1 without Aurora Veil, its entirely possible for the opponent to chip away just enough of Necrozma's health for it to be defeated once Trick Room ends. Often, the opponents main way to deal with Necrozma is to wait out Trick Room, while maybe hitting a it a few times, then to KO it when its vulnerable after it ends. So understanding when to send out Necrozma is key to using Frosty Fanroom. I like to use him often after setting Aurora Veil and using Indeedee-F to take a hit, allowing him to safely switch in. Try to use Heatran in conjunction during Trick Room to cover Steel types and other resistant Pokemon.
Indeedee-Female, Distracting Psychic Castle
ROOK (Indeedee-F) @ Eject Button
Ability: Psychic Surge
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Follow Me
- Expanding Force
- Psychic Terrain
- Protect
Indeedee-Female is a supreme support Pokemon, setting Psychic Terrain and providing Follow Me support to protect other team members. Though Indeedee-F faulters in combat often, Indeedee itself rarely ever actually uses its own Expanding Force attack most of the time, this is because most opponents switch in their Psychic-Resists when Necrozma is on the field. Despite this, Indeedee can still win a game if given a good opportunity to use Expanding Force. A rather unique move compared to most Psyspam Indeedee-F sets is the presence of the manual terrain setting Psychic Terrain move. This allows indeedee to reset the terrain to Psychic Terrain if an enemy Rillaboom or Tapu Fini are sent out without having to switch back in. This can be helpful vs Hazard stack teams in reducing switching. It should also be noted that Necrozma has 13 speed IVs allowing Indeedee-F to outspeed it during Trick Room so that Necrozma can use Expanding Force the turn Tapu Fini or Rillaboom switch in.
How it is used
Indeedee-F is a fairly weak Pokemon offensively so a majority of the time it is used to switch terrains and redirect attacks and generally just sacrifice itself for the rest of the team. Despite this Indeedee can still threaten pokemon like Urshifu on its own. Indeedee-F carries an Eject Button which can help win the Terrain battle (which can easily be activated through using follow me). Keep in check terrain setters on the opponents team to know when to switch out or when to use Psychic Terrain to set it manually. Remember to know when to use Indeedee over Amoongus. While Amoongus is a bulkier and safer redirector that can also provide spores, certain Pokemon such as Zeraora, that out-speed Nintetales and posses both Fake out and Taunt or Prankster taunters like Whimsicott can only really be checked by Indeedee.
Heatran: Knight of the Flame
KNIGHT (Heatran) (M) @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Eruption
- Protect
Unfortunately, as great as having a snow day every day is with Frosty Fanroom, sometimes it gets too cold and I need something to keep me warm. Sir Heatran provides the fiery doom that is Eruption to all opposing steel types that threat the main STAB of the other team members. Full power Eruption is one of the best ways to sweep during Trick Room. Most Heatran on other Psyspam teams tend to run 252 speed EVs (some those teams also tend to carry Tailwind in addition to Trick Room as well). However, on Frosty Fanroom, Heatran uses a rare 252 HP EVs set in order to benefit from the defensive buffs of Aurora Veil. Another unique addition is the Saftey Goggles item. While Heatran do occasionally run Saftey Goggles to counter Amoongus and that is true here, the Saftey Goggles are also crucial to preventing Heatran from taking chip damage from Hail itself. That chip damage will slowly weaken Heatran's Eruption so this is a rather unique scenario of Saftey Goggles being used for a situation other than just countering Amoongus during Trick Room.
How it is used
Heatran may seem straight forward, set up trick room, send in, spam eruption, but using it often requires caution. For one, it may be bulky, but a single ground type move without Aurora Veil support will put it in the ground. Often times knowing when to send out Heatran and when not to is the most important thing to consider, as shallow as that advice is. And preserving Heatran is very important too, often times without Heatran, pokemon such as Genesect and Ferrothorn can cakewalk the rest of Frosty Fanroom and having that late game Heatran to discourage those types of Pokemon really helps.
Amoongus: Old school Pawn
PAWN (Amoonguss) (M) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 92 Def / 168 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Pollen Puff
- Spore
- Rage Powder
- Clear Smog
Amoongus is the oldest member of Frosty Fanroom, and the only remaining member of the legendary "Fanroom Classic" of yore. Despite this, Amoongus provides the same tried and true tactics that he did in the past, Sleep and Redirection support. With how overpowered the sleep status can be, Amoongus' role can be further amplified by Aurora Veil given that Amoongus itself is already a fairly bulky Pokemon. In addition, Pollen Puff can provide healing to its allies. This can make Frosty Fanroom a truly unkillable force if the circumstances line up properly. While running Protect would be useful in many specific matchups, especially vs fake out and taunt Pokemon, I prefer to run Clear Smog as a way to deal with set up Pokemon. Given that Frosty Fanroom uses a total of Six Special Attackers, any Calm Mind abusers, particularly Tapu Fini, can become unkillable without it. It also helps with minor set up Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Kyurem and Spectrier and it can also be useful for disposing of Whimsicott as an attacking move.
How it is used
Amoongus is usually a good Pokemon to lead with in most situations since it can redirect and spore most of the opponets major offensive Pokemon. This set uses an Occa berry as a means to counter speed control + devastating fire types such as Heatran with Tailwind support or Choice Scarf or even something like Cinderace. While lacking a Sitrus berry may make it easier to be KO'd by the opponent, often times being able to send in Amoongus in Trick Room vs Torkoal or even vs Sun Eruption Heatran knowing it cannot be OHKO'd really can save games. Using Pollen Puff to heal an ally can be useful for punishing an opponent using protect or switching into Tapu Fini/Spore Immune Pokemon.
Threats and Counters
Tragically, as much as I try to perfect Frosty Fanroom, it is not perfect, and there are many common threats in the tier that can really give the team a hard time, some of which it may not even be able to defeat.
Without a doubt the most threatening Pokemon to Frosty Fanroom (and quite frankly hail as a team structure in general). Tyranitar sets Sandstorm which can prevent Ninetales-A from using Aurora Veil and its rock type attacks are not resisted by any member of the team. Additionally Sandstorm increases the Special Defense of Rock type pokemon (Going back to Frosty Fanroom having 6 Special Attackers, this is actually a normal problem with most Psyspam teams in general). And to add insult to injury, it is also a Dark type, meaning it is immune to Expanding Force. While three Pokemon all have Earth Power, its Special Defense is simply too high for it to do any real damage to it. As a result, Frosty Fanroom is at an instant disadvantage vs any team using Tyranitar. Sometimes, especially VS. Hazard Stack Sand teams, Frosty Fanroom simply cannot win these matchups due to the fundamental flaws of mixing Psyspam and Hail.
Possible answers to Tyranitar
- Focus Blast on Kyurem while holding an Expert Belt can OHKO non-Assault Vest Tyranitars
252+ SpA Expert Belt Kyurem Focus Blast vs. 188 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar in Sand: 461-547 (118.8 - 140.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Possible damage amounts: (461, 470, 475, 480, 485, 490, 494, 499, 509, 514, 518, 523, 528, 533, 538, 547)
for those that are carrying an Assault Vest, more damage, attacking it during Hail or a Choice Specs Kyurem set will be needed
- Swapping Amoongus for Rillaboom can work, though losing Amoongus' powerful spore may weaken the strength of Trick Room, Rillaboom can still work to provide the team with healing through Grassy Terrain and support through Fake Out. Being a physical attacking Grass type it should make fighting Tyranitar significantly easier. It should be kept in mind though that Rillabooms Grassy Surge can conflict with Psyspam potentially.
-Similarly, Urshifu is common on Psyspam teams as a Tyranitar counter and could easily replace Kyurem (Though this means the team will struggle more with Tapu Fini)
-If all else fails, Amoongus can spore Tyranitar if lucky, though many teams with Tyranitar also run Tapu Fini, so this may not always work, unless you are willing to sack Indeedee.
The meta's only Amoongus answer
A Pokemon that counters many aspects of the team, Tapu Fini is one of the most annoying Pokemon to fight. Upon entering the battle it will set Misty Terrain which can prevent Amoongus from using its devastating Spore, often making it semi-deadweight. In addition to that it also can change the terrain from Psychic Terrain weakening Necrozma in the process and the power it can dish out during the five turns of Trick Room. Additionally, some Tapu Fini sets use Calm Mind, which given our six Special Attacker issue can lead to a Game Over if not taken care of. Thankfully, Tapu Fini can still be dealt with. It doesn't do too much damage unless it is using a Choice Specs set during Aurora Veil and Amoongus' Clear Smog, which can remove buffs from Calm Mind, as well as Indeedee's Psychic Terrain, which will reset terrain to Psychic Terrain, can all provide tools for minimizing the effects of Tapu Fini.
The things that hurt a lot
Genesect is usually the most frequent thing I see people lead with as their counter to Frosty Fanroom. Its typing of Bug and Steel combined with the ability Download really isn't all that appealing considering 4/6 Pokemon take super effective damage against it. Perhaps the most dangerous aspect is trying to figure out whether it is running Choice Scarf or Choice Band. Choice Scarf means it will outspeed every party member and instantly KO Ninetales. Choice Band means even Necrozma isn't safe with its Prism Armor. And sometimes it may even use a Shift Gear set and sweep the entire team with something with follow me. But despite how dangerous this Pokemon is, level headed-good playing can overcome it. Heatran just happens to be an excellent deterrent against it. I have faced many Genesect and defeated many of them, whether through baiting their U-turns out vs Heatran or getting a good Spore on them from Amoongus, it is a true rival to Frosty Fanroom.
Pheramosa is also included here, it functions similarly to Genesect as a fast Bug type, it has just enough power to OKHO Ninetales with Close Combat and even potentially Amoongus with a lucky Triple Axel and unlike Genesect, it doesn't lose to Heatran. Though, a Chopple Berry Kyurem can potentially stop it and sacking Amoongus or Indeedee may be necessary (Many teams using Pheramosa are sometimes Psyspam teams, so you may not need to preserve Indeedee to maintain Psychic Terrain)
Stop Snarling at me!
Mew is a real pain because it can run many different sets, and some of them are very strong vs Hail Psyspam. Particularly those that run Hazards and Snarl are the worst. Hazards, while traditionally not popular in the Doubles OU meta, have found usage on Mew, Stealth Rocks can slowly chip the teams health away (and conversely this weakens the effects of Aurora Veil) especially against the team's two Ice types: Ninetales-A and Kyurem. Snarl again gets into the team's Six Special Attacker issue again, reducing the effects of the main attackers of Frosty Fanroom, and Mew being as bulky as it is can REALLY spam this without ever going down. Worst of all, many Mews run with Tapu Fini or Saftey Goggles to prevent Amoongus from using Spore on it. Despite this, there are still ways of beating Mew. Encore from Ninetales can trap it to using a status move it and thus preventing it from using the rest of its moveset (This is good for preventing it from using Snarl, or Transform if it is a Jail Mew). Amoongus can actually use its own Clear Smog attack on its allies to return their Special Attack to normal, sadly this doesn't work on Heatran, who would clearly be the best answer for Mew, because it is a steel type but it can still be a minor bandage for the impact of Snarl.
Pink Blob of Death
Despite Chansey being a fairly uncommon Pokemon in DOU, sitting at Tier 5 in the Viability Rankings, it still is worth a mention here. Once again, we arrive the Six Special Attackers problem. Given that an Eviolite Chansey has a Special Defense stat that is way too high for it to be KO'd by any team member without serious cheese, this Pokemon can really suck to fight against. Even worse, they also run Stealth Rocks as well, making it difficult for the team to survive long enough before it is isolated. However Chansey can still be exploited using Encore and Spore just enough for Frosty Fanroom to clean up its other team members before isolating Chansey itself, making it easier to fight. Necrozma can also make an attempt, assuming Chansey is the only thing left on the field, to boost its Special Attack using Meteor Beam high enough that it can eventually KO Chansey.
Importable
https://pokepast.es/119db4b33e13f5f6
Achievements and Replays
Here's some of the cool stuff I've been able to accomplish with my team over the course of this year!
Ladder
I'm often laddering with this team, so it's quite often that I will usually reach #1 on the DOU ladder with this team
so it's not really that important to me that I should show you my "Ladder Peak" since some of you have probably already seen me at #1 on the ladder or some other really high spot, but I will show off some "proof" at the very least:
This is from a month or two ago, as of writing this I'm 1904, #4 and have a GXE of 92.4
DLT Top 8
My recent tour outings: specifically OSDT, Fall Seasonal and Majors, haven't had very good results, with me being eliminated fairly early (That's the reality of using only one team most of the time that you get Counter Teamed a lot). However I do feel pretty proud of qualifying and making top 8 with it during the Doubles Ladder Tournament, even if it is considered a weaker tournament.
Replay vs Grvrix from Top 16:https://pokepast.es/119db4b33e13f5f6
Achievements and Replays
Here's some of the cool stuff I've been able to accomplish with my team over the course of this year!
Ladder
I'm often laddering with this team, so it's quite often that I will usually reach #1 on the DOU ladder with this team
so it's not really that important to me that I should show you my "Ladder Peak" since some of you have probably already seen me at #1 on the ladder or some other really high spot, but I will show off some "proof" at the very least:
This is from a month or two ago, as of writing this I'm 1904, #4 and have a GXE of 92.4
DLT Top 8
My recent tour outings: specifically OSDT, Fall Seasonal and Majors, haven't had very good results, with me being eliminated fairly early (That's the reality of using only one team most of the time that you get Counter Teamed a lot). However I do feel pretty proud of qualifying and making top 8 with it during the Doubles Ladder Tournament, even if it is considered a weaker tournament.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1579170685-0x9t6shd03g3ehke7g75kyas4mnj9gzpw
Replays
Here's some replays that I have to show my team VS. other well known DOU players.
First Appearance of Frosty Fanroom-Prototype Vs NinjaSnapple during Winter Seasonal
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1489101799
Frosty Fanroom defeats Sun counter team vs Chris Numbers (lost the set though) during Fall Seasonal
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1664556465
Sniping dnagerbadger during DLT
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1565719997
Random Ladder Game Vs. JRL
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1640506552-6n076a6zdfanapto8cawy927z5cji2mpw
Random Tournaments Room Tour battle against Akaru Kokuyo
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1677951944
Random Ladder Game vs Eragon11145
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1695498584
This one's really fun
Frosty Fanroom defeats Melmetal and other Ubers during Memorics' No Johns Tour Vs. YoBuddyTheBaker
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesubers-1707984496
Sniping Crunchman during Ally Switch Suspect montage:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1677876891
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1676275332
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1678516737
Doubles OU Circuit Invites Top 16 vs Shadowmonstr7
(I lost the bo3, but hey, I got this nice replay at least)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen8doublesou-664020
And one last edit I am going to make here, to show how serious I am about maintaining the Fanroom status quo, Frosty Fanroom is also Cart-Legal
MY TEAM IS CART LEGAL, CAN YOU SAY THE SAME ABOUT YOUR TEAM?
Closing Remarks
With the generation comming to a close, so too does Frosty Fanroom, while we may try to cling to what we know, what we are familiar with...eventually...everything must come to an end...
I am hopeful that generation 9 will be a fun meta, and that I will be able to make a new Fanroom team when the time comes. Will it be frosty? Only time will tell...
Shout outs to the Smogon Doubles community for continuing to be a positive influence and putting up with my goofy shenanigans and thanks for reading!
Here's some replays that I have to show my team VS. other well known DOU players.
First Appearance of Frosty Fanroom-Prototype Vs NinjaSnapple during Winter Seasonal
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1489101799
Frosty Fanroom defeats Sun counter team vs Chris Numbers (lost the set though) during Fall Seasonal
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1664556465
Sniping dnagerbadger during DLT
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1565719997
Random Ladder Game Vs. JRL
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1640506552-6n076a6zdfanapto8cawy927z5cji2mpw
Random Tournaments Room Tour battle against Akaru Kokuyo
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1677951944
Random Ladder Game vs Eragon11145
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1695498584
This one's really fun
Frosty Fanroom defeats Melmetal and other Ubers during Memorics' No Johns Tour Vs. YoBuddyTheBaker
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesubers-1707984496
Sniping Crunchman during Ally Switch Suspect montage:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1677876891
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1676275332
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1678516737
Doubles OU Circuit Invites Top 16 vs Shadowmonstr7
(I lost the bo3, but hey, I got this nice replay at least)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen8doublesou-664020
And one last edit I am going to make here, to show how serious I am about maintaining the Fanroom status quo, Frosty Fanroom is also Cart-Legal
MY TEAM IS CART LEGAL, CAN YOU SAY THE SAME ABOUT YOUR TEAM?
Closing Remarks
With the generation comming to a close, so too does Frosty Fanroom, while we may try to cling to what we know, what we are familiar with...eventually...everything must come to an end...
I am hopeful that generation 9 will be a fun meta, and that I will be able to make a new Fanroom team when the time comes. Will it be frosty? Only time will tell...
Shout outs to the Smogon Doubles community for continuing to be a positive influence and putting up with my goofy shenanigans and thanks for reading!
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