Pokémon Top 5: Favourite Ice Types

Hello my sweet island guests, get a fruity little drink! Today I’ve got the ice!
The Ice type  is commonly seen as one of the worst two typings in the entire game. While good against the Grass, Flying Dragon And last weeks ground type, it’s weaknesses to fire, steel rock and fighting make it quite a struggle to use these things. Their defences are usually very flimsy while many are built like tanks.. Today we look for a little ray of sunshine amongst the ice types. Let’s hope they don’t melt!

If you have been keeping tracks of these list by now you do know the rules. No pokémon from earlier lists and only one entry per evolution line which in this case is much less of a problem because there is only one good unevolved ice type pokémon and even then I do not mean it in the viable sense. The only good, non fully evolved ice type is of course Snom! He’s so adorable!He also feels like an ice type because of well his name.. and his colour! He’s precious we should all protect snom! A single pebble can kill him so he’s no list material but still!

The second rule I always wield is.. the pokémon has to feel to me like it’s typing and ooh boy.. does the ice type miss that mark a lot. Of the 53 ice types out there 9 do not feel like ice types at all to me. That would arguably be more if I count the cold water pokémon. Lapras however I do count among the list that do not feel like ice types to me. Perhaps because the anime branded it as native to tropical islands but yeah that doesn’t feel icey to be.. it’s gigantamax does. Then again I think it would be better as a water-sound type. I do not like Lapras though.. so it would not make the list regardless. Sneasel and Weavile also don’t really feel like Ice types to me! I love using them and I run them with ice moves but why is it an ice type?! I don’t really see it. Same goes for Jynx . 

A final shout out goes to Zen Mode Galarian Darmanitan. I really don’t like the design of it’s normal mode.. but when it goes into Zen Mode using its ability I love the design. The fire and ice typing is fun as well.. but SO much ice types have quad weaknesses and this on does as well.  Given that Zen Mode Galarian Darmanitan needs to be  below a certain amount of health to transform into his ice and fire state, it is a temporary form pokémon and thus not eligible for this list. Still a great design though. 

I am gonna get strung up for this by the Pokémon community but I LOVE Vanilluxe! The ice cream pokémon it looks so Happy! The idea of a snow cone pokémon  I find perfectly okay! People complain that it’s ice cream and say Gen I pokémon were better no stupid objects. We had a Pokéball  that evolved into an inverse Pokéball.  We had a stick in the ground that became three sticks in the ground and we had two magnets on an eyeball! The whole idea of Pokémon is seeing creatures you have never seen before. If you just want cats in varying colours go play that cat mobile game.  Vanilluxe is great!  It deserves love! It is probably THE pokémon that everyone would look at at say “Now THAT’s an ice type”  along with very few others.  Along with about half the full ice types.  My test for this would be.. imagine a black and white picture of the pokémon.  No colour.. could you still say it’s an ice type? Heck yeah I could!

Vanilluxe comes into existence when two Vanillish (it’s pre-evolution) partially melt in the sun! When they go out to play at night together they freeze up together and now are one entity! This gives them the ability to cause powerful blizzards that can freeze just about everyone. However this ice-cream is also a bit of a hot head! It gets angry a lot and when both heads get angry it will cover the land in a huge snowstorm regardless if friends or foe are in there! It just throws a tantrum! An Ice type that is a hot head! I love it! Of course Pokémon Sun and Moon had to add some darkness to it’s pokémon entries by stating that both it’s head have separate brains that can agree and disagree with each other.. making it’s power alternate! It also was stated there that it can occur that one of the heads is lost! If that is so the other still can live in relative comfort! How said! You just got a forever friend and then it’s head is blown off and you live with just the body of your friend. Basically.. it’s just Dio then I guess

In combat Vanilluxe is not bad either! It has an okay base speed of 79 but it can learn the ability weak armor which easily allows you to crank that up! It also has some speed boosting moves. Ice body and Snow Warning as an ability can come in clutch as well. It’s attack being at 95 which is also fairly high makes it that it’s Explosion move can also hurt like heck! It’s defences are quite okay as well! Not great but not trash either so it could possible take a hit and if it’s too damaged you just blow it up and take your opponent with you.  It gets powerful ice moves such as blizzard and ice beam but it also learn Flash Cannon a nice steel type special move to give it some weakness-covery against rock! It gets the move Sheer Cold as well which can knock your opponent out in a single hit. .if luck is on your side!  It was a great addition to my  princess tea party team in Galar (An Apple Pie, With some Whipped Cream, A scoop of Ice and Some hot tea, all with a fairy princess and her magical unicorn)! 

A pokémon that is both an ice type and a fairy type. That looks super pretty and is inspired on the nine tailed fox? Of course that would make the list! This pokémon is probably the most pretty Alolan form across the line!  I wish I could have made this my favorite but unfortunately it has two major flaws. It’s stats aren’t all that great with everything but speed hovering at around 75, only being specially defensive. It is quad weak to steel type moves though.  It’s great for killing dragons though! Also have I told you it looks pretty?! This definitely is the prettiest pokémon on the list.. heck I think it might be one of the prettiest pokémon ever! What it lacks up for in battle aptitude it  makes up for in style.  Many times over! During my fairy only type run in Alola,  Shirona  was my Alolan Ninetales and while I noticed she lacked the ability to hit hard.. she made my team look pretty and helped me deal with a bunch of peky types! Sometimes style does go over substance.

This design is reflected in the  pokédex lore it has been given. Due to it’s looks it has been revered as a deity before it was identified as a regional version of Ninetales. This has to do with the fact that in the mountains these majestic pokémon dwells there lives a deity. When seeing a snowy beautiful pokémon like this of course it was given divine qualities. This also is in part because Alolan Ninetales will guide lost hikers back to the foot of the mountain. However it does not do this out of kindness it does this because it wants the hikers gone from it’s mountain to protect the deity! Other deities seem to visit the areas they live in as well making it even more important that they are left alone. Those who damage the nature in the areas they live in.. do not get the kind treatment to safety. It will never forgive anyone who scars it’s mountain.  So there you go! This is a pokémon that is above humans it rather plays with deities! That’s top 5 worthy!

In battle Alolan Ninetales does not have a lot of oomph! It’s attack stats are just to poor. It usually is made to be into a supportive wall setter. Equipped with the ability Snow warning and the Light Clay Item, this pokémon can set a unique barrier that shields against both physical and special moves (it needs to be hailing for it to do so though.. hence the ability which sets up the snow/hail) This means you give it the move encore as well to prevent your opponent from setting up or force a switch if they set up weather to counter you.  Very important to carry that move then! Offensively there are two main types of pokémon that can set up the weather in your disfavor in general,  Grass types set up the sun while Water types set up the rain! (Rock and Fire types can set weather but you switch out against them anywya) By taking the move Freeze-Dry you have super effective special moves against both grass and water so that is a good shoutout to take as well. For a fourth move you should let it know Sheer Cold. Random One Hit Knock Outs can be good since when the shields are up, Ninetales becomes a tad throwaway.

A penguin that has a block of ice on it’s head that is also a head already sounds like a perfect pokémon for me! So adorable and derpy!  This is the type of design I love! I am fairly alone in that because some people seem to hate this pokémon despite of how cute it looks!  When it is hit by a physical move the ice cube shatters and it becomes penguin with a super tiny head that has turned all blue from the cold! I love it so much! In the Crown Thundra DLC trailer we have seen recently we see an Eiscue in the water.. it’s floating there because it’s head is just a big ice block! It looks so fun! Squeee! I just imagine the little feet trampling at all their might underneath the water to get anywhere but it just doesn’t work! So it has to let the current take it where it wants to go! If you read any of my lists before you know I really appreciate clunk in Pokémon.

Since this is a Gen VIII pokémon we do not have a lot of pokédex entries yet ..but what we have is super cute! It does indeed mention that it likes to drift in the ocean to keep its head super cold! It likes the big head it seems! When it breaks it reveals a slightly worried expression that has enamoured many people in the pokémon world and I totally get that! I love that face I just want to squeeze it in it’s tiny cheeks and tell it’s a good boy and I will help it get it’s favorite head back! Yes I will! Mamma will put a block of ice on your head! When it is drifting about the ocean it uses it’s little hair that grows out of the ice block as a fishing rod.  When it’s in it’s small faced form the single hair reacts to it’s thoughts. The hair is in straight connection to the brain so  when something is on it’s mind the hair emits a cold aura. I just want to put a little ribbon in there! 

In battle Eiscue can be amazing! It learns Belly Drum.. and combining that with a hp recovery berry, and it’s ice face ability this pokémon is rather amazing. Belly Drum boosts it’s physical attack stat from a base 80 attack to a base 320 attack. If it moves into its tiny face form by being hit physically it’s speed stat becomes 130 too. Which means it hits fast  and REALLY REALLY hard. If you combine it with a Dynamax it can even set up the hail and get it’s square head back to be bulky in defence over speedy! The only problem.. it doesn’t really matter it has bulky defence as the head shatters if it’s hit with a physical move and the head shattering negates any damage! So … in the ice head form it has a lot of wasted stat points, which is a shame and prevents it from being higher up this list. Liquidation avalanche and facade are good physical moves to run on this good boy!  The ability Ice face is kinda tricky to understand and I do not have the room to go into detail.. so google if you need.. but if used properly this penguin can kick some ass.

A very close to number one second this time around in the form of the Gen 3 pokémon Walrein. While I have used one on my team in my first playthrough of Pokémon Sapphire, I really warmed up to the pokémon trough my playthrough of Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. There is something about seeing a Walrus in 3d with animations that makes it more charming. I also really needed it on my team as it destroys Salamence which I saw often in that game.  Designwise it’s about as much as you can do with a Walrus I guess. While I do not like that all water pokémon are blue, or most of them at least,  the blue on this one along with the white really does well to sell the cold qualities it possesses. It looks kind of dopey which I do like.. it doesn’t feel as ugly and mean as some other stage 2 pokémon. It keeps that beloved pet vibe more than say Tyranitar or Exploud for example. 

It’s pokedex entries do not state to much interesting facts about this pokemon, other than that it is very fat! There have been 12 pokedex entries of Walrein  to date and 11 mention it’s thick layer of blubber. The only one that doesn’t mentions that when a Walrein is the leader of a herd it will battle anything that invades it’s territory and it will continue to fight to keep it’s herd safe regardless if that means it’s own death. It can even lose it tusks in these battles.  All the other pokédex entries state that it is protected by it’s large amounts of blubber. The blubber shields it from both the cold and enemy attacks. The real impressive feat however is that it can break 10 tons of iceberg with a single attack with its tusk! Now that is an effective ice cube maker!  I bet it would be neat to use at parties! Crushed ice for everyone!

In battle it’s quite okay! It’s hindered by the poor stat average most ice types have.. with only a very high hp count and the other stats being okay! However.. due to its ability Thick Fat it is so bulky it makes up for that weakness. It can just tank! It will not die easily!  As for movesets.. that is a bit tricky! I ran my most beloved Walrein, Hoomphrey on a coliseum game, which means 2 v 2 battles. Moves like Surf and Blizzard are great shout outs for that.  It’s special attack is capped at 95 which is really quite alright certainly given it’s high hp, so special moves are your bread and butter. I personally run it with rest for a full recovery and sleep talk. But Snore is also a okay move to put on this pokémon. There are plenty ways to play but I do really prefer to break this one out in 2v2 battles. In 1v1 I kinda see how it does not deal as much damage as it could. Still it’s  also nice PvE playthroughs as it learns a nice amount of HM’s and is able to use them in combat rather effectively. A great allrounder that I wish would have gotten just a little more punch.

Even now I feel like .. should this be here? Does it feel enough like an ice type?! Heck there was  time I didn’t even know it was an ice type! It was only when I started playing competitive battles with my friends that i discovered skill link, kings rock Cloyster using ice type attacks with stab.. murdered EVERYTHING. I always liked Cloyster quite a bit as it had one of the most interesting designs in Gen 1 for me. I loved that black pearly little head in that spikey shell. Of course in Gen 1 this was a rather terrible pokemon. A good looking but terrible pocket monster. It lacked some good moves, it lacked anime support. Shellder being involved in Slowpokes evolution and having such an iconic but annoying cry in the anime made me aware of this pokémon .. rather than the pokemon itself . However since the invention of the ability skill link and the move Shell Smash.. killer oyster is exactly my battle style! The kings rock item makes it so much better even!  I really love it!  I have since used that spec in a playthrough with my main guy Hurl-Pearl. 

For some reason this pokemon seems rather hated in the pokémon-world.. well or at least they think there is a pearl inside and they want to reach it.  As it is stated that once a Cloyster closes its shell no one can open it.. not even someone with superior strength. It is also stated that not even bombs can open it! Mentioning no one managed to get inside to take a look at it’s interior .. It can “swim” by swallowing up water and shooting it out the back…. that sounds kind of dubious and kinda clunky but well it’s a shell  so I am sure it doesn’t poop out water or anything… “it uses this same system to to shoot its spikes a it’s opponent”.. Uhm wait.. it shoots spikes out of it’s ass?! That’s kinda cool! Do shells even have asses though?! It has a hole in the back that expel excess material at least. Sounds like an ass! The spikes on its body are its main method of attacking. They are so hard that old tribes used the spikes that Cloyster lost.. by shooting them away as their weapons.  The spikes are even so hard that even missiles can’t break them! Why are humans shooting missiles at cloyster and why do they try to blow them up! You meanies!

In combat this by far is one of my favorite pokemon to use ever! Skill Link, as an ability makes your pokémon always hit the maximum amount of times a move can hit.  Icicle Spear and Rock blast are both offensive moves that hit up to five times and the coverage amongst them is quite solid. Shell Smash will boost your speed Attack and Special Attack in trade for your Special Defence and Defence.. but with a White Herb that first skill down step is negated.  Or like me you could give it a Kings Rock! Which grants an attack a 10% chance ability to flinch. However due to skill link you now have five 10% chances.  That makes the chance of flinching pretty high! A flinch means a pokémon can not move that turn. So this pokémon can deal massive damage with a huge chance to stun your pokémon! I know there are better builds like the herb..but Kings Rock is just so funny!! Hurl-Pearl and me.. we are Nakama! I think this pokemon is very nICE!

What is your favorite ice type? I am predicting a lot of Articuno answers here, but proof me wrong?! Do you use the ice type a lot?! Let me know! Next week we will discuss the other “weakest” type, the rock type! Which Pokémon do you think will be on there?! Since Rock Types are super effective against the ice type..some ice pokémon are already coming up with a counter! See you next time!