RU Snorlax

GoldCat

BOSSARU CUP WINNER
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a defending SCL Champion
[OVERVIEW]

Snorlax either sweeps entire teams at team preview or does nothing of note, with the latter happening more frequently than the former. Simply put, Snorlax struggles against common top-tier Pokemon such as Metagross, Reuniclus, and Rhyperior, so pulling off a sweep will often be an uphill battle. Snorlax does, however, have some amazing upsides to justify building a team around it. Mainly, Snorlax is a behemoth of a special tank and can check and set up against some of the tier's most dangerous special attackers such as Nidoqueen, Calm Mind Raikou, and Chandelure. However, Snorlax's reliance on Rest somewhat negates this, as it's often forced out immediately after using Rest by the likes of Heracross, meaning it's hard to successfully burn sleep turns without taking significant damage in the process. If left unchecked, this can spiral out of control until Snorlax is overwhelmed, or it will be stuck in a Rest cycle and unable to set up and sweep. Entry hazards quickly rack up damage on Snorlax too, which only exacerbates the problem further with each time it's forced out. However, cleric support and entry hazard removal coupled with mindful teambuilding can remedy most of Snorlax's inherent flaws.

[SET]
name: CurseLax
move 1: Curse
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Earthquake / Darkest Lariat
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Careful
evs: 208 HP / 36 Atk / 172 Def / 84 SpD / 8 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

A paralysis from Body Slam slightly increases the odds Snorlax beats Calm Mind Reuniclus and Nasty Plot Togekiss. Earthquake ensures Snorlax has a shot at defeating Steel- and Rock-types such as Lucario, Rhyperior, and Diancie. Darkest Lariat, on the other hand, gives Snorlax a fighting chance against Cosmic Power Metagross and 2HKOes Reuniclus at +2. Rest heals off any otherwise crippling status condition like a burn or Toxic poison, which not only makes it harder to stop Snorlax in its tracks but also makes it a far more reliable counter to Pokemon such as Nidoqueen and Chandelure. Leftovers is crucial for avoiding the 3HKO from Nidoqueen so Snorlax can safely set up and use Rest against it. The EV spread is to avoid the OHKO from Flame Orb Heracross after a Curse and never be 2HKOed by Modest Choice Specs Toxtricity's Boomburst, which more importantly means that no special attacker can 2HKO Snorlax with a non-super effective move. 8 Speed EVs are to outspeed paralyzed Reuniclus even after using Curse twice, which gives Snorlax the highest odds to win the exchange. The leftover EVs are invested in Attack for a slight increase in damage.

The key to successfully teambuild with Snorlax is redundancy. Snorlax eats up a lot of resources, and one might get the idea to use it as team compression to make up for that; however, Snorlax will crumble if it's assigned too many roles like the team's primary special wall, status absorber, and sweeper. With this in mind, Snorlax can be paired with other special walls such as Registeel and Diancie because they can check special attackers like Gardevoir, Noivern, and, in the latter's case, Chandelure all while Snorlax acts as a backup. Cleric support from Diancie, Togekiss, and Umbreon is another crucial puzzle piece to teambuilding with Snorlax, letting it use Rest more freely and less often because it can easily be woken up and cured of a burn or poison with Heal Bell. Togekiss also helps Snorlax by weakening shared checks like Rhyperior while also checking Fighting-types. Umbreon stands out because it can Wish pass to Snorlax, which doesn't heal it for much but still keeps it healthy enough to not need to use Rest. Likewise, entry hazard removal provided by Crobat, Flygon, and Dhelmise is a must to prevent it from being quickly overwhelmed. Crobat is also an excellent check to the many Fighting-types threatening Snorlax. Ground- and Grass-types such as Flygon, Gastrodon, and Celebi are crucial because Snorlax can't effectively handle Electric-types such as Xurkitree, Raikou, and Rotom-C due to them easily whittling it down with Volt Switch when aided by entry hazards. Bulky Water-types like Milotic, Gastrodon, and Jellicent are needed to answer Steel- and Rock-types like Escavalier and Rhyperior that Snorlax can struggle to get through. Jellicent is also particularly noteworthy for hard countering Lucario and Cosmic Power Metagross.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Double-Edge and Facade are other feasible STAB options. The extra power of Double-Edge lets Snorlax 2HKO Reuniclus, but the recoil forces it to use Rest much more often. With Facade, Snorlax won't have to worry about healing a burn, but it's an even less reliable option against Reuniclus than Body Slam, as Snorlax needs to be statused to 2HKO and can't paralyze it. Sleep Talk lets Snorlax act when asleep but gives up coverage, so it can't break Steel- and Rock-types and lets Mimikyu set up for free. Snorlax has a wide movepool with a colorful arrange of coverage options that more offensive sets such as Choice Band and offensive Curse can take full advantage of. For example, Seed Bomb can lure in and heavily damage Rhyperior, which can check standard CurseLax sets. Despite Thick Fat giving it a different yet useful defensive profile, Choice Band sets face stiff competition from Bewear, which is much faster, has more opportunities to wallbreak, and is harder to revenge kill thanks to Fluffy. Snorlax's low Speed also greatly hinders how effective it is as a wallbreaker. Offensive Curse sets such as Curse + three Attacks focus on wallbreaking rather than attempting to sweep but are even easier to wear down with entry hazards and are almost entirely shut down by a burn or Toxic poison.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-types and Wallbreakers**: Common Fighting-types such as Heracross, Lucario, Pangoro, and Bewear are the most straightforward answers to Snorlax. They might not outright KO Snorlax after a Curse boost, but they'll leave it low enough for their teammates to pick it off. Bewear can switch in and set up on Snorlax thanks to Fluffy. Other physical wallbreakers such as Grimmsnarl, Choice Band Metagross, and Golurk pack strong enough of a punch to overwhelm Snorlax. Grimmsnarl and Golurk can even use Trick to give Snorlax a Choice Band. Likewise, powerful special wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Gardevoir and Toxtricity can 2HKO Snorlax after Stealth Rock.

**Jellicent**: Jellicent completely shuts Snorlax down with Taunt and will slowly but surely defeat it with Scald. However, not all Jellicent carry a move to hit Snorlax with, but burning it with Will-O-Wisp and preventing it from setting up or using Rest will go a long way in beating it.

**Bulky Setup Pokemon**: Rhyperior more commonly handles Snorlax by forcing a Rest with Toxic and its strong Earthquake so a teammate can take advantage of the sleeping Snorlax, but Swords Dance Rhyperior is one of the best checks to Snorlax. The rarer Escavalier and Doublade can similarly comfortably withstand even boosted attacks from Snorlax and set up alongside it to overwhelm it with Swords Dance-boosted moves. However, all of them lack reliable recovery and thus can't check Snorlax for too long. Cosmic Power Metagross stands out as a hard counter to any Curse Snorlax without Darkest Lariat due to it avoiding the 3HKO from Earthquake and 3HKOing back with Body Press, guaranteeing it wins the exchange even when factoring in Rest turns. Nasty Plot Togekiss isn't 2HKOed by +1 Body Slam and induce flinching with +2 Air Slash to beat Snorlax. Reuniclus avoids the 2HKO from even +2 Body Slam and 2HKOes in return with 2+ Focus Blast. But, an untimely full paralysis will lead to Snorlax winning against either of them. Substitute + Protect Suicune can PP stall Snorlax and will 3HKO and beat it before it wakes up with +4 Scald if Snorlax ever uses Rest.

**Entry Hazards**: Snorlax is susceptible to all forms of entry hazards and is often forced out multiple times in any given game, so the damage will quickly rack up and can put Snorlax in a foe's KO range.

**Item Displacement**: Leftovers plays a crucial role in keeping Snorlax healthy, and it'll be much easier to pressure Snorlax with weaker attacks and residual damage once removed. Knock Off users such as Tornadus, Seismitoad, and Incineroar don't immediately scare Snorlax out, which makes it more willing to take the Knock Off. In a similar vein, Galarian Weezing and Vileplume can remove Leftovers with Corrosive Gas. Vileplume can also keep Snorlax at bay with Strength Sap. Pokemon such as Chandelure, Gardevoir, and Togekiss can Trick and hamper Snorlax with a Choice item.

**Haze and Clear Smog**: Haze Milotic can PP stall and eventually beat Snorlax with Toxic or pivot out to a teammate with Flip Turn once it's asleep. A paralysis from Body Slam can't even save it; not only is Milotic still faster, its Defense is also boosted by Marvel Scale. Similarly, Gastrodon can remove Snorlax's stat boosts with Clear Smog. Still, if paralyzed, it's outsped by Snorlax even after a Curse, which makes it a much shakier answer.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[GoldCat, 359771]]
- Quality checked by: [[Yourwelcomethanku, 541847], [zizalith, 410251]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
 
Last edited:
[OVERVIEW]

Snorlax is a potent yet very hit-or-miss sweeper, which either sweeps entire teams at team preview or does nothing of note, with the latter case more common than the former. Simply put, Snorlax struggles against common top-tier Pokemon such as Cobailon, Reuniclus, and Rhyperior, so it will often be an uphill battle to pull off a sweep. Snorlax does however have some amazing upsides to rightly justify building a team around it. Mainly, Snorlax is a behemoth of a special tank and can check and set up against some of the tier's most dangerous special attackers in Nidoqueen, Volcanion, and Necrozma.

Though Snorlax's reliance on Rest does negate this to an extent, as once asleep Snorlax is often immediately forced out

, so next time it tries to check the aforementioned Pokemon it will be hit hard before it once again is forced out after burning just a single turn of sleep.

If left unchecked, this can spiral out and be left on repeat until Snorlax is ultimately overwhelmed or it will never get the chance to set up and sweep.

Entry hazards quickly rack up damage on Snorlax too, which only exacerbates the problem further with it taking even more damage every time it's forced out. However, many of Snorlax's problems can be covered with proper team support


and give Snorlax the breathing room it needs to truly shine on the battlefield.

[SET]
name: CurseLax
move 1: Curse
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Careful
evs: 28 HP / 40 Atk / 252 Def / 188 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

After a couple of Curse boosts, Snorlax's defenses will be near impenetrable and can take on the likes of Obstagoon, Golurk, and Sharpedo.

A paralysis from Body Slam increases the odds in Snorlax's favor to come on top against Calm Mind Reuniclus and Nasty Plot Togekiss.

Earthquake covers Steel- and Rock-types such as Cobalion, Rhyperior, and Diancie

Rest heals off any otherwise crippling status condition like a burn or Toxic, which not only make it harder to stop Snorlax

but also make Snorlax a far more reliable counter to Pokemon such as Volcanion and Chandelure.

Leftovers are crucial for avoiding the 3HKO from Nidoqueen and Volcanion, so Snorlax can safely set up and Rest against them. The 28 HP and Defense EVs are to avoid the 2HKO from Cobalion and OHKO from Flame Orb Heracross, after a Curse. The Special Defense investment is to be never 2HKOed by Modest Choice Specs Toxtricity's Boomburst, which more importantly mean that no special attacker can 2HKO Snorlax with a non-super effective move. Then the remaining EVs invested in Attack ensures that Earthquake into +1 Earthquake is always a KO on Cobalion.





[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

List some options for the Pokemon user that are plausible but not always recommended due to being either not consistent enough or too outclassed by other Pokemon in the metagame.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-types**: Describe why the Pokemon is a threat.

**Knock Off**: Describe why the Pokemon is a threat.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[GoldCat, 359771]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
I think banded snorlax has potential here as well, especially in NU


Snorlax @ Choice Band
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double-Edge
- Crunch
- Heat Crash
- Heavy Slam

244 Spe outpaces Sylveon. Banded DoubleEdge HURTS, and with Snorlax's naturally High HP it can dish out a lot with little recoil. Crunch is mainly for Bronzong and Dhelmise, although Darkest Lariat can be used if you're afraid of Iron Defense Bronzong. Heat crash is for the grass types of the tier, Vileplume and Rotom-C mainly, although neither of them like taking a double edge. It also has a small chance to hurt Steel silvally. Earthquake can hit Arcanine for a chance to 2HKO through intimidate. Heavy Slam is for Sylveon and DIancie.
 

GoldCat

BOSSARU CUP WINNER
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a defending SCL Champion
I think banded snorlax has potential here as well, especially in NU


Snorlax @ Choice Band
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double-Edge
- Crunch
- Heat Crash
- Heavy Slam

244 Spe outpaces Sylveon. Banded DoubleEdge HURTS, and with Snorlax's naturally High HP it can dish out a lot with little recoil. Crunch is mainly for Bronzong and Dhelmise, although Darkest Lariat can be used if you're afraid of Iron Defense Bronzong. Heat crash is for the grass types of the tier, Vileplume and Rotom-C mainly, although neither of them like taking a double edge. It also has a small chance to hurt Steel silvally. Earthquake can hit Arcanine for a chance to 2HKO through intimidate. Heavy Slam is for Sylveon and DIancie.
This is for the RU analysis alone, for NU you can go here (though doesn't seem like Snorlax is up reservation yet). I also play some NU, so I can assure you that CB will most likely get a set in the NU analysis whenever it's written, as it's a commonly seen set.
 
Finally, after so long, my time has come...

BEHOLD
This is a god damn full 31-page long Snorlax RU guide.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14S0K-XHQgLvzDPTLMbk1kqXmdPuMLModaJj90A2730A/edit?usp=sharing

The list of contents is reduced to:
  1. Benefits of using Snorlax
  2. Disadvantages of using Snorlax
  3. Snorlax’s Checks and Counters throughout the generations
  4. Snorlax’s Team Options
  5. Viability Rankings for Items, Abilities and Moves in Snorlax sets
  6. Pokémons Checked and/or Countered by Snorlax
I'll leave it at that for now, but if I'm asked to deeply elaborate on a comment format, I'll gladly do so. btw I'm planning to add a sample set list and recommended EV Spreads section, but I'll have to do that later since I'm very tired right now. Here's the list of mathematically correct Snorlax spreads tho: https://pokepast.es/87980f55f1b570a6
 

Attachments

Last edited:

GoldCat

BOSSARU CUP WINNER
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a defending SCL Champion
I'll leave it at that for now, but if I'm asked to deeply elaborate on a comment format, I'll gladly do so. btw I'm planning to add a sample set list and recommended EV Spreads section, but I'll have to do that later since I'm very tired right now. Here's the list of mathematically correct Snorlax spreads tho: https://pokepast.es/87980f55f1b570a6
Thank you, so much! The EV spread you suggested for +1 led me to a more optimal spread. Got 4 extra EVs out of it, which was needed to hit all of the benchmarks I had in mind. Genuinely helpful!
 
Thank you, so much! The EV spread you suggested for +1 led me to a more optimal spread. Got 4 extra EVs out of it, which was needed to hit all of the benchmarks I had in mind. Genuinely helpful!
Tbh that is actually my favorite spread of the list. It has just the right balance between special and physical bulk investment.

I don't know how many of these you're using already, but I feel like these sites could really help you to make a better analysis:
  • https://www.pikalytics.com/pokedex/gen8ru You most likely already use this. This allows you to see what stuff truly threatens Snorlax in the tier, and helps you to think of a way to counter them.
  • https://www.smogon.com/stats/ Essentially the same as Pikalytics, but far more precise and detailed, although it's harder to use.
  • https://calc.pokemonshowdown.com/ You know, the usual. Just a regular damage calculator. I know you're using this one already.
  • https://pokemon-teamalyzer.vercel.app/ Now THIS is the good stuff. This tool analyses either a single Pokémon or your whole team. It comes with a move power evaluator, a physical power evaluator, a special power evaluator, a mixed power evaluator, a physical bulk evaluator, a special bulk evaluator, and even a mixed bulk evaluator; and all of this can be used on a single Pokemon or a complete team. Additionally, it helps you see what kind of power dominantes your team (special or physical), what kind of sweepers your team is weak to, and to what Typings your team is weak to (both offensively and defensively).
  • https://www.terresquall.com/apps/pokemon-ev-optimiser/ This REALLY helps you out when you either want to get the best bulk possible out of a Pokémon, to distribute your EVs better in case you're working with an EV count different from 256, 252 or 508, and to hit some benchmarks while keeping the overall EV spread optimized.
I really hope this helps too!
 
highlight
comment

add
[OVERVIEW]

Snorlax is a potent yet very hit-or-miss sweeper, which either sweeps entire teams at team preview or does nothing of note, with the latter case more common than the former. Simply put, Snorlax struggles against common top-tier Pokemon such as Metagross, Reuniclus, and Rhyperior, so pulling off a sweep will often be an uphill battle. Snorlax does however have some amazing upsides to rightly justify building a team around it. Mainly, Snorlax is a behemoth of a special tank and can check and set up against some of the tier's most dangerous special attackers such as Nidoqueen, Calm Mind Raikou, and Chandelure. Though Snorlax's reliance on Rest does negate this to an extent because once forced to Rest, Snorlax is often immediately forced out by the likes of Heracross without any chance to burn a sleep turn. Then the next time Snorlax switches into a Pokemon like Nidoqueen it first has to take a hit before it can burn off a turn of sleep only for it to be once again forced out. If left unchecked, this can spiral out of control until Snorlax is overwhelmed or it will be stuck in a Rest cycle unable to set up and sweep. Entry hazards quickly rack up damage on Snorlax too, which only exacerbates the problem further with each time it's forced out. However, good support can help like cleric support (or something like that.)(Incomplete)

[SET]
name: CurseLax
move 1: Curse
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Earthquake / Darkest Lariat
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Careful
evs: 208 HP / 36 Atk / 172 Def / 84 SpD / 8 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

A paralysis from Body Slam increases the odds by a bit in Snorlax's favor to come on top against Calm Mind Reuniclus and Nasty Plot Togekiss. Earthquake ensures Snorlax has a shot at defeating Steel- and Rock-types such as Lucario, Rhyperior, and Diancie. Darkest Lariat gives Snorlax a fighting chance against Cosmic Power Metagross and it 2HKOes Reuniclus at +2. Rest heals off any otherwise crippling status condition like a burn or Toxic, which not only makes it harder to stop Snorlax in its tracks but also makes it a far more reliable counter to Pokemon such as Raikou and Chandelure. Leftovers are crucial for avoiding the 3HKO from Nidoqueen, so Snorlax can safely set up and Rest against it. The EV spread is to avoid the OHKO from Flame Orb Heracross, after a Curse, and never be 2HKOed by Modest Choice Specs Toxtricity's Boomburst, which more importantly means that no special attacker can 2HKO Snorlax with a non-super effective move.(Technically specs indeedee can, but that barely exists so take that as you will) 8 Speed EVs are to outspeed paralyzed Reuniclus even after using Curse twice, which gives Snorlax the highest odds to win the exchange. The leftover EVs are invested in Attack for a slight increase in damage.

The key to successively successfully teambuild with Snorlax is redundancy. Snorlax eats up a lot of resources and one might get the idea to use it as team compression to make up for it; however, Snorlax will crumble if it's assigned too many roles like the team's primary special wall, status absorber, and sweeper. For example, other special walls such as Registeel and Diancie can in its place check Gardevoir and Togekiss all while Snorlax acts as a backup.

  • Cleric support from Diancie, Togekiss, and Umbreon. Umbreon Wish support.
  • Hazard removal is a must otherwise Snorlax will falter. Crobat, Flygon, and Dhelmise. Crobat can also check Fighting-types.
  • Ground- and Grass-types such as Flygon, Gastrodon, and Celebi are both crucial because Snorlax can't effectively handle Electric-types such as Xurkitree, Raikou, and Rotom-C, as it will be too easily whittled down by Volt Switch and entry hazards.
  • Answers to Steel- and Rock-types like Escavalier and Rhypeiror are handy. Bulky Water-types such as Milotic, Gastrodon, and Jellicent. Jellicent hard counters Lucario and Cosmic Power Metagross.



[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

  • Double-Edge and Facade are alternative STAB options. The extra power from Double-Edge lets Snorlax 2HKO Reuniclus but the recoil forces it to Rest more often. With Facade, Snorlax won't have to worry about healing a burn but it's an even less reliable option against Reuniclus than Body Slam, as Snorlax needs to be statused to 2HKO and can't paralyze it.
  • Sleep Talk lets Snorlax act when fast asleep but gives up coverage so it can't break Steel- and Rock-types, and lets Mimikyu set up for free.
  • Recycle + Figy Berry with Gluttony provides recovery without Snorlax falling asleep but only heals it for one-third per Berry and makes Snorlax even more vulnerable to Knock Off and Corrosive Gas because once removed, Recycle can't restore the Berry. It also removes the resistances from Thick Fat and Snorlax can no longer heal its status conditions.
  • Snorlax has a wide movepool with a colorful arrange of coverage options. Choice Band and offensive Curse sets can surprise usual checks to CurseLax such as Rhyperior with Seed Bomb. Similarly can Assault Vest sets but with more defensive utility.(Idt this is worth including)

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-types And Wallbreakers**: Common Fighting-types such as Heracross, Lucario, Pangoro, and Bewear are the most straightforward answers to Snorlax. They might not outright KO Snorlax after a Curse but they'll leave it low enough for their teammates to pick it off. Bewear can switch in and set up on Snorlax thanks to Fluffy. Other physical wallbreakers such as Grimmsnarl, Choice Band Metagross, and Golurk pack strong enough of a punch to overwhelm Snorlax. Grimmsnarl and Golurk can even Trick Snorlax a Choice Band. Likewise, powerful special wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Gardevoir and Toxtricity can 2HKO Snorlax after Stealth Rock.

**Jellicent**: Jellicent completely shuts Snorlax down with Taunt and will slowly but surely defeat it with Scald. However, not all Jellicent carries a move to hit Snorlax but burning it with Will-O-Wisp and preventing it from setting up or using Rest will go a long way for Jellicent's teammates to deal with it.

**Bulky Setup Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Rhyperior and the rarer Escavalier and Doublade can comfortably withstand even boosted attacks from Snorlax and set up alongside it and overwhelm it with Swords Dance boosted moves.(Rhyperior is very uncommonly Swords Dance, though, but can Toxic Snorlax and force Rest for a teammate to force it out) However, all of them lack reliable recovery and thus can't check Snorlax for too long. (Cosmic Power Metagross mentioned here.)(Remember to do that) Nasty Plot Togekiss isn't 2HKOed by +1 Body Slam and can flinch Snorlax down with +2 Air Slash. Reuniclus avoids the 2HKO from even +2 Body Slam and 2HKOes in return with Focus Blast after two Calm Mind. But an untimely full paralysis will lead to Snorlax winning. Substitute + Protect Suicune can PP stall Snorlax and will 3HKO and beat it before it wakes up with +4 Scald if Snorlax ever uses Rest.

**Entry Hazards**: Snorlax is susceptible to all forms of entry hazards and it's often forced out multiple times in any given game, so the damage will quickly rack up and can put Snorlax in a foe's KO range.

**Knock Off, Corrosive Gas, And Trick**: Leftovers play a crucial role in keeping Snorlax healthy and it'll be much easier to pressure Snorlax with weaker attacks and residual damage once removed. Knock Off users such as Tornadus, Seismitoad, and Incineroar don't immediately scare Snorlax out, which makes it more willing to take the Knock Off. In a similar vein, Galarian Weezing and Vileplume can remove Leftovers with Corrosive Gas. Vileplume can also keep Snorlax at bay with Strength Sap. Pokemon such as Darmanitan, Gardevoir, and Togekiss can Trick and hamper Snorlax with a Choice item.

**Haze And Clear Smog**: Haze Milotic can PP stall and eventually beat Snorlax with Toxic or pivot out with Flip Turn once it's asleep to a teammate, which can take care of the sleeping unboosted Snorlax. A paralysis from Body Slam can't even save it, as not only is Milotic still faster but its Defense is boosted by Marvel Scale. Similarly, Gastrodon can remove Snorlax's stat boosts with Clear Smog. Still, if paralyzed it's outsped by Snorlax even after a Curse, which makes it a much shakier answer because a poorly timed full paralysis could end it for Gastrodon.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[GoldCat, 359771]]
- Quality checked by: [[Yourwelcomethanku, 541847], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
qc 1/2
Great work
 
[OVERVIEW]
However, good support can help like cleric support (or something like that.)
Recycle + Figy Berry with Gluttony provides recovery without Snorlax falling asleep but only heals it for one-third per Berry and makes Snorlax even more vulnerable to Knock Off and Corrosive Gas because once removed, Recycle can't restore the Berry. It also removes the resistances from Thick Fat and Snorlax can no longer heal its status conditions.
i think this is rlly bad would personally delete it or put it last

**Bulky Setup Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Rhyperior and the rarer Escavalier and Doublade can comfortably withstand even boosted attacks from Snorlax and set up alongside it and overwhelm it with Swords Dance boosted moves. However, all of them lack reliable recovery and thus can't check Snorlax for too long. (Cosmic Power Metagross mentioned here.)
gross


great analysis, qc 2/2
 

Rabia

is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a CAP Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Battle Simulator Moderator
GP & NU Leader
add remove comments
[OVERVIEW]

Snorlax is a potent yet very hit-or-miss sweeper, which either sweeps entire teams at team preview or does nothing of note, with the latter case happening more common frequently than the former. Simply put, Snorlax struggles against common top-tier Pokemon such as Metagross, Reuniclus, and Rhyperior, so pulling off a sweep will often be an uphill battle. Snorlax does,(comma) however,(comma) have some amazing upsides to rightly justify building a team around it. Mainly, Snorlax is a behemoth of a special tank and can check and set up against some of the tier's most dangerous special attackers such as Nidoqueen, Calm Mind Raikou, and Chandelure. Though Snorlax's reliance on Rest does negate this to an extent because Snorlax is often immediately forced out on the turn it needs to Rest by the likes of Heracross without any chance to burn a sleep turn. Then the next time Snorlax switches into a Pokemon like Nidoqueen it first has to take a hit before it can burn off a turn of sleep, only for it to be once again forced out. However, Snorlax's reliance on Rest somewhat negates this, as it's often forced out immediately after using Rest by the likes of Heracross, meaning it's hard to successfully burn sleep turns without taking significant damage in the process. If left unchecked, this can spiral out of control until Snorlax is overwhelmed,(comma) or it will be stuck in a Rest cycle and unable to set up and sweep. Entry hazards quickly rack up damage on Snorlax too, which only exacerbates the problem further with each time it's forced out. However, proper support in cleric support and entry hazard removal coupled with mindful teambuilding can remedy most of Snorlax's inherent flaws.

[SET]
name: CurseLax
move 1: Curse
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Earthquake / Darkest Lariat
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Careful
evs: 208 HP / 36 Atk / 172 Def / 84 SpD / 8 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

A paralysis from Body Slam slightly increases the odds by a bit in Snorlax's favor to come on top against Snorlax beats Calm Mind Reuniclus and Nasty Plot Togekiss. Earthquake ensures Snorlax has a shot at defeating Steel- and Rock-types such as Lucario, Rhyperior, and Diancie. Darkest Lariat, on the other hand, gives Snorlax a fighting chance against Cosmic Power Metagross and it 2HKOes Reuniclus at +2. Rest heals off any otherwise crippling status condition like a burn or Toxic poison, which not only makes it harder to stop Snorlax in its tracks but also makes it a far more reliable counter to Pokemon such as Nidoqueen and Chandelure. Leftovers are is crucial for avoiding the 3HKO from Nidoqueen (remove comma) so Snorlax can safely set up and use Rest against it. The EV spread is to avoid the OHKO from Flame Orb Heracross (remove comma) after a Curse (remove comma) and never be 2HKOed by Modest Choice Specs Toxtricity's Boomburst, which more importantly means that no special attacker can 2HKO Snorlax with a non-super effective move. 8 Speed EVs are to outspeed paralyzed Reuniclus even after using Curse twice, which gives Snorlax the highest odds to win the exchange. The leftover EVs are invested in Attack for a slight increase in damage.

The key to successfully teambuild with Snorlax is redundancy. Snorlax eats up a lot of resources,(comma) and one might get the idea to use it as team compression to make up for it that; however, Snorlax will crumble if it's assigned too many roles like the team's primary special wall, status absorber, and sweeper. With this in mind, Snorlax can be paired with other special walls such as Registeel and Diancie because they can in place of Snorlax check special attackers like Gardevoir, Noivern, and, in the latter's case, Chandelure all while Snorlax acts as a backup. Cleric support from Diancie, Togekiss, and Umbreon is another crucial puzzle piece to teambuilding with Snorlax, letting it use Rest more freely and less often because it can easily be woken up and cured of a burn or poison with Heal Bell. Togekiss also helps Snorlax by weakening shared checks like Rhyperior (remove comma) while also checking Fighting-types. Umbreon stands out,(remove comma) as because it can Wish pass to Snorlax,(comma) which doesn't heal it for much but still keeps it healthy enough to not need to use Rest. Likewise, entry hazard removal provided by Crobat, Flygon, and Dhelmise is a must otherwise Snorlax will quickly falter to prevent it from being quickly overwhelmed. Crobat is also an excellent check to the many Fighting-types threatening Snorlax. Ground- and Grass-types such as Flygon, Gastrodon, and Celebi are both crucial because Snorlax can't effectively handle Electric-types such as Xurkitree, Raikou, and Rotom-C due to them easily whittling it down with Volt Switch and when aided by entry hazards. Answers to Steel- and Rock-types like Escavalier and Rhyperior that Snorlax can struggle to get through like bulky Water-types such as Milotic, Gastrodon, and Jellicent are needed. Bulky Water-types like Milotic, Gastrodon, and Jellicent are needed to answer Steel- and Rock-types like Escavalier and Rhyperior that Snorlax can struggle to get through. Jellicent is also particularly noteworthy for hard countering Lucario and Cosmic Power Metagross.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Double-Edge and Facade are other feasible STAB options. The extra power of Double-Edge lets Snorlax 2HKO Reuniclus,(comma) but the recoil forces it to use Rest much more often. With Facade, Snorlax won't have to worry about healing a burn,(comma) but it's an even less reliable option against Reuniclus than Body Slam, as Snorlax needs to be statused to 2HKO and can't paralyze it. Sleep Talk lets Snorlax act when fast asleep but gives up coverage,(comma) so it can't break Steel- and Rock-types (remove comma) and lets Mimikyu set up for free. Snorlax has a wide movepool with a colorful arrange of coverage options that more offensive sets such as Choice Band and offensive Curse sets can take full advantage of. For example, Seed Bomb can lure in and heavily damage Rhyperior,(comma) which usually can check standard CurseLax sets. Despite Thick Fat giving it a different yet useful defensive profile, Choice Band sets do however face stiff competition from Bewear,(comma) which is much faster,(comma) and have has more opportunities to wallbreak,(comma) and is harder to revenge kill thanks to Fluffy, but it does have Thick Fat to differentiate itself. Snorlax's low Speed also greatly hinders how effective it's it is as a wallbreaker. Offensive Curse sets such as Curse + 3 three Attacks focus on wallbreaking rather than attempting to sweep (remove comma) but are even easier to wear down with entry hazards and are almost entirely shut down by a burn or Toxic poison.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-types And and Wallbreakers**: Common Fighting-types such as Heracross, Lucario, Pangoro, and Bewear are the most straightforward answers to Snorlax. They might not outright KO Snorlax after a Curse boost,(comma) but they'll leave it low enough for their teammates to pick it off. Bewear can switch in and set up on Snorlax thanks to Fluffy. Other physical wallbreakers such as Grimmsnarl, Choice Band Metagross, and Golurk pack strong enough of a punch to overwhelm Snorlax. Grimmsnarl and Golurk can even use Trick to give Snorlax a Choice Band. Likewise, powerful special wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Gardevoir and Toxtricity can 2HKO Snorlax after Stealth Rock.

**Jellicent**: Jellicent completely shuts Snorlax down with Taunt and will slowly but surely defeat it with Scald. However, not all Jellicent carries carry a move to hit Snorlax with,(comma) but burning it with Will-O-Wisp and preventing it from setting up or using Rest will go a long way for Jellicent's teammates to deal with in beating it.

**Bulky Setup Pokemon**: Rhyperior more commonly handles Snorlax by forcing a Rest with Toxic and its strong Earthquake (remove comma) so a teammate can take advantage of the sleeping Snorlax,(comma) but if it decides to carry Swords Dance, it's Swords Dance Rhyperior is one of the best checks to Snorlax. The rarer Escavalier and Doublade can similarly comfortably withstand even boosted attacks from Snorlax and set up alongside it and to overwhelm it with Swords Dance-boosted(hyphen) moves. However, all of them lack reliable recovery and thus can't check Snorlax for too long. Cosmic Power Metagross stands out as a hard counter to any Curse Snorlax without Darkest Lariat due to it avoiding the 3HKO from Earthquake and 3HKOes 3HKOing back with Body Press, which means it safely Rest against Snorlax while it'll KO Snorlax before it can wake up guaranteeing it wins the exchange even when factoring in Rest turns. Nasty Plot Togekiss isn't 2HKOed by +1 Body Slam and can flinch Snorlax down with induce flinching with +2 Air Slash to beat Snorlax. Reuniclus avoids the 2HKO from even +2 Body Slam and 2HKOes in return with 2+ Focus Blast after two Calm Mind. But,(comma) an untimely full paralysis will lead to Snorlax winning against either of them. Substitute + Protect Suicune can PP stall Snorlax and will 3HKO and beat it before it wakes up with +4 Scald if Snorlax ever uses Rest.

**Entry Hazards**: Snorlax is susceptible to all forms of entry hazards and it's is often forced out multiple times in any given game, so the damage will quickly rack up and can put Snorlax in a foe's KO range.

**Knock Off, Corrosive Gas, And Trick Item Displacement**: Leftovers plays a crucial role in keeping Snorlax healthy,(comma) and it'll be much easier to pressure Snorlax with weaker attacks and residual damage once removed. Knock Off users such as Tornadus, Seismitoad, and Incineroar don't immediately scare Snorlax out, which makes it more willing to take the Knock Off. In a similar vein, Galarian Weezing and Vileplume can remove Leftovers with Corrosive Gas. Vileplume can also keep Snorlax at bay with Strength Sap. Pokemon such as Chandelure, Gardevoir, and Togekiss can Trick and hamper Snorlax with a Choice item.

**Haze And and Clear Smog**: Haze Milotic can PP stall and eventually beat Snorlax with Toxic or pivot out to a teammate with Flip Turn once it's asleep, which can take care of the sleeping unboosted Snorlax. A paralysis from Body Slam can't even save it;(comma -> semicolon) as not only is Milotic still faster,(comma) but its Defense is also boosted by Marvel Scale. Similarly, Gastrodon can remove Snorlax's stat boosts with Clear Smog. Still, if paralyzed,(comma) it's outsped by Snorlax even after a Curse, which makes it a much shakier answer because a poorly timed full paralysis could end it for Gastrodon.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[GoldCat, 359771]]
- Quality checked by: [[Yourwelcomethanku, 541847], [zizalith, 410251]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]

GP 1/1 when done
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top