Snorlax

This analysis was written by User:Raimon and formatted by User:charizard8888
Snorlax is one of the premier sleep users in the 1v1 metagame, and a huge threat because of that. The combination of Snorlax's decent natural bulk, thick fat and monstrous HP allows it to live most hits before using yawn+protect to put the opponent to sleep and either set up or attack the opponent for a win, provided you get lucky with the sleep turns. Snorlax has an outstanding special defence which lets it take hits from very powerful special attackers like Mega Charizard-Y, Tapu Lele, and Scarf Porygon-Z with ease. It does not need to rely on sleep either as it has other good options in its move pool such as curse and counter, as well as a very usable 110 base attack which allows it to easily deal with threats such as Tapu Lele and Tapu Koko. However Snorlax is weak to very strong physical attackers, especially those with fighting type coverage, such as Blaziken, Sawk, Pheromosa, Mega Heracross and Kyurem-Black as it ignores Thick Fat thanks to its ability teravolt. Snorlax also relies a lot on not getting unlucky with sleep turns when using its yawn+protect set, as if an opponent receives only 1-2 turn sleep it can mean a loss for Snorlax. Snorlax is hard walled by ghost types unfortunately. Mediocre Speed stat making the strategy of Yawn+Protect more risky. Its normal typing being resisted by rock and steel-types on top of being immune to ghost giving it a hard time defeating bulky rock and steel.
=Set 1 name=
Snorlax @ Normalium Z
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 248 HP / 124 Atk / 136 Def
Adamant Nature
- Yawn
- Protect
- Double-Edge
- Belly Drum
==Set Comments==
===Moves===
Yawn allows Snorlax to put foes to sleep in conjunction with protect. Protect allows Snorlax to take only 1 turn of damage from the opponent before they are put to sleep by yawn, it also helps in taking Z-Moves and scouting. Double-edge is the sole damage dealing move on this set and even against resisted hits,after a belly drum, can allow snorlax to power through opposing pokemon, with normalium-z it can also be upgraded to a powerful Breakneck Blitz to help snorlax strong-arm its way through its foes. Belly drum allows Snorlax to boost its attack to monstrous levels in order to blast through potential checks such as mega metagross and magearna, sleep turns providing. The usage of z-belly drum restores Snorlax to full health allowing it to almost always be able to pull of a belly drum in any matchup.
===Set Details===
248 HP and 136 defence allows Snorlax to take an icium-z boosted Freeze Shock from the popular bulky Icium-Z Kyurem-Black set. 124 attack EVs with an Adamant nature are to maximise the damage output of Snorlax and allow it to hit as hard as possible. Normalium-Z gives snorlax a number of options in Z-Belly Drum to restore its health and gain massive attack boosts after the opposing pokemon is put to sleep, or just fire off a boosted double edge in the form of Breakneck Blitz. Thick fat is used to allow Snorlax to better check strong offensive fire types such as mega charizard-mega-Y or X, as well as also helping with ice moves.
===Usage Tips===
At team preview note if the opponent has any outright unbeatable things for Snorlax. Avoid sending it against Ghost-Type Pokemon such as Mimikyu and Aegislash as this set completely gets walled by them due to lack of coverage options to hit them. Unless the opposing pokemon may be carrying substitute always use yawn turn 1. Its better to play safe and protect after yawning turn 1, but if the opponent can not 2hko you going straight for Z-Belly Drum is also viable. Its better to use Z-Double Edge straightaway against Pokemon like Porygon-Z Meloetta which can use Uproar and avoid Sleep (though Snorlax would still win against Porygon-Z but not always Meloetta). To always beat sturdy pokemon with snorlax use the following sequence of moves (Yawn ---> Protect ---> Double Edge ---> Z-Belly-Drum ---> Double Edge) Would still lose to others like Sawk and Crustle though
===Team Options===
Will-O-Wisp charizard-mega-x is a good support option since Snorlax beats a few common special attackers which easily defeat it, such as Primarina and Tapu Lele, as well as charizard in turn beating bulky steels like mega metagross as well as fighting types such as mega heracross and sawk which would trouble Snorlax, as well as aegislash and mimikyu, prevalent ghost types which are immune to all of Snorlax's attacks. Kyurem-Black with Iron Head can easily handle sturdies such as Donphan and Golem defeat Sawk, Jumpluff, and Z-Move Kartana which could potentially cause trouble for Snorlax, it can also beat ghost types such as mega gengar and mimikyu, which can not be beaten by Snorlax because of its mono attacking set. Specs Greninja carrying Water Shuriken is also a good partner as it can easily deal with Jumpluff, as well as being another check to Crustle and ghosts which are annoyances for Snorlax to face and at the same time, Snorlax can deal with Chansey and Scarf users such as Porygon-Z and Garchomp which can be problematic for Greninja. Gyarados-Mega is a strong offensive check to bulky rocks, steels and ghosts which can give Snorlax issues. Charizard-Mega-Y is a strong check to bulky steels as well. Anything which can deal with strong fast offensive fighting types, so mega slowbro is a good partner for snorlax
=CurseLax=
Snorlax @ Figy Berry
Ability: Gluttony
Happiness: 0
EVs: 104 HP / 32 Atk / 252 Def / 120 SpD
Impish Nature
- Curse
- Recycle
- Frustration
- Amnesia
==Set Comments==
===Moves===
Curse is used as a way to bolster Snorlax's physical attack and defence allowing it to sponge hits easier and power up to take out the opposing pokemon. Recycle allows Snorlax to recover health from its figy berry more, in conjunction with gluttony. Frustration is the only attacking move on this set, and its how Snorlax takes out opposing pokemon. Amnesia allows Snorlax to boost its special defence to live special hits easier
===Set Details===
32 attack allows Snorlax to 2HKO Tapu Koko. The 104 HP plus 252 defence with an Impish nature allows Snorlax to live a max attack Kyurem-Black subzero slammer. Rest of the EVs put into special defence to maximise special bulk. Gluttony works in conjunction with figy berry and recycle to allow Snorlax to recover 50% of its health every time it drops below 50% health and has its berry in hand
===Usage Tips===
Use the appropriate boosting move depending on whether the foe is physically offensive or specially offensive. Keep using recycle to gain health back, while boosting up. Boost until you are safe and then attack the opposing pokemon.
===Team Options===
Anything which can deal with strong fast offensive fighting types, so mega slowbro is a good partner for snorlax. Charizard-X is also a good partner as it can defeat bulky Steel-type pokemon which give Snorlax problems such as Mega Metagross. Mega Lopunny can defeat all the common ghost types like Mimikyu and Aegislash which give Snorlax problems, as its mono attacking sets can not hit them.
=Strategy Comments=
==Other Options==
Counter is a niche option that can be run. Frustration can be run over double-edge in the Belly Drum set for the no recoil aspect, but its damage output would be weaker.
==Checks and Counters==
*Fast offensive fighting types such as Mega Heracross, Sawk, Mega Lopunny and Blaziken can OHKO Snorlax before it uses its moves. 
*Ghost types like Mimikyu, Aegislash, and Mega Sableye. 
*Bulky steel types such as mega aggron and mega metagross. 
*Bulky rock types such as mega Tyranitar can give Snorlax trouble as well
Category:Analyses