Pokemon Scarlet and Violet may not have introduced any new Types to the metagame, but they’ve provided some much-desired improvements for Pokemon that have perhaps been overlooked. One particular Type to get this treatment was Ice in Scarlet and Violet, which has some reasonably popular classic choices, as well as some incredibly durable, hard-hitting new additions. For trainers who prefer Ice Pokemon, this might be a breath of cool fresh air, and for opponents of Snow teams, this might just chill them to their bones.
Who Are the Best Ice Type Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet?
Ice Type Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet have gained some great new additions, but the change from Hail to Snow as a weather effect now adds a defensive buff. This comes alongside the speed boost for Pokemon who need it, but this, along with a selection of powerful new moves including Ice Spinner, makes several Pokemon incredibly viable for competitive play. We have the best Pokemon of this Type listed below, in no particular order:
Cetitan
Beginning this list with a new Generation IX banger, Cetitan is a deadly new Ice Type Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet. Cetitan boasts some solid natural bulk which can further be supported by Snow but is also incredibly aggressive and powerful as well. The ‘Slush Rush’ Ability helps mitigate its Speed problem, but it might be good to have a Tera play in mind to help against threats to its Ice Typing, while still benefiting from Slush Rush. Cetitan’s base stats are below:
- HP: 173
- Atk: 113
- Def: 65
- Sp. Atk: 45
- Sp. Def: 55
- Speed: 73
Despite middling Speed, Slush Rush will help due to it doubling this stat when there’s Snow. Access to Belly Drum with that Speed will be helpful, as long as you have plans in place to keep anything from depleting Cetitan’s HP before it can move again, so a Sitrus Berry might come in handy. Ice Spinner has great STAB potential while eliminating hazards, Earthquake as a Tera move option is worthwhile to consider, and Play Rough can help with Fighting and Steel Types.
Cloyster
One of the great OG competitive Pokemon out there, Cloyster is easy to use and has a clear best application in many instances. Despite its sky-high Defense, Cloyster can choose to sacrifice it for greater offense and Speed, and it absolutely should, because it has access to ‘Skill Link.’ Skill Link is an Ability that makes multi-hit moves always hit their maximum number of times, usually 5, which hurts bad after a Shell Smash boost. Cloyster’s base stats are below:
- HP: 50
- Atk: 95
- Def: 180
- Sp. Atk: 85
- Sp. Def: 45
- Speed: 70
Cloyster has such strong natural Defense that fully investing your EVs into that stat is often unwise, where instead you can choose to boost its Speed and Atk. This allows the Shell Smash boost to have the greatest effect, and Cloyster will still have strong enough Defense to shoulder a few hits in the process. Icicle Spear, Rock Blast, and maybe a Focus Sash to withstand any vicious assaults from Special Attackers looking to capitalize on Cloyster’s main weakness, and you’ve got yourself a hardy sweeper.
Chien-Pao
Chien-Pao has more run-of-the-mill stats as a speedy offensive Ice Type Pokemon introduced in Scarlet and Violet. Chien-Pao can slice through enemy defenses due to the excellent ‘Sword of Ruin’ Ability allowing it to lower the Defense of other Pokemon on the field by 25% just by being there. This, combined with great Speed and Attack, and reol (if defensively poor) Ice-Dark Typing make Chien-Pao an interesting offensive choice on your team. Chien-Pao’s base stats are below:
- HP: 80
- Atk: 120
- Def: 80
- Sp. Atk: 90
- Sp. Def: 65
- Speed: 135
This Pokemon has pretty safe applications as long as you press the Speed advantage it has with a Jolly nature, while heavily investing in its natural Attack too. Consider Mints if you need to. But Chien-Pao has access to a plethora of great physical attacks, and Dark STAB in Crunch or Sucker Punch, Icicle Crash, Sacred Sword for coverage against Rock and Steel, and Swords Dance if you need that extra power. Chien-Pao is a powerful Pokemon and being able to cripple enemy defenses by default is a great option.
Abomasnow
Abomasnow has a surprisingly vital presence this time as an Ice-Grass Type Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet. Abomasnow is the only Pokemon in this region with Snow Warning, meaning it’ll set off the Snow weather effect just by joining the battle. This makes Abomasnow largely similar to Pelipper in terms of role, and you’ll want to keep it alive as much as possible, getting the vital Snow effect off while plotting an escape. That is unless you choose among one of the best Psychic Type Pokemon in the game for the unique move Chilly Reception. But Abomasnow’s base stats are the following:
- HP: 90
- Atk: 92
- Def: 75
- Sp. Atk: 92
- Sp. Def: 85
- Speed: 60
Abomasnow’s stats don’t inspire great confidence, and it’s best-valued for its ability, but this Pokemon does boast some solid natural bulk in a pinch. This, combined with Snow, allows you to focus on rounding it out in case it needs to last a turn or two, so some HP investment is a reasonable idea, along with an Assault Vest. Ice Beam or Blizzard, Leaf Storm, Earth Power, and Chilling Water are some interesting choices you can consider, taking advantage of Abomasnow’s equally average Sp. Atk when compared to its identical Atk. This is large with consideration for how many other physical Ice attackers you might have.
Baxcalibur
Baxcalibur is a powerful Ice-Dragon Type Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet, being the only other Pokemon since Kyurem to bring this option to the table. Baxcalibur has excellent bulk, high Attack, and a reasonable spread of defenses and Speed to hold its own in battle. The ‘Thermal Exchange’ Ability is vital for this Pokemon, making it a switch-in threat when predicting Fire attacks as it gets an Atk boost when hit with Fire moves thanks to this, and can’t get the Burn status ailment. Baxcalibur’s base stats are the following:
- HP: 115
- Atk: 145
- Def: 92
- Sp. Atk: 75
- Sp. Def: 86
- Speed: 87
Baxcalibur is similar in many ways to Haxorus, sacrificing Speed and a tiny sliver of Attack for greater defenses overall, as well as opening itself up to more weaknesses. But it has an awesome unique move not available to Haxorus, Glaive Rush, that can work similarly to Draco Meteor as long as you have an escape strategy. Dragon Dance will do this Pokemon some serious favors as well, boosting Speed as much as you need, while Icicle Crash or Icicle Spear offer different types of coverage along with physical Ice STAB. Throw in some Earthquake for coverage against Rock and Steel Types and you’ve got a Dragon Dance sweeper for sure.
Iron Bundle
Iron Bundle has featured elsewhere as a dominant Pokemon in both the Ice and Water Type in Scarlet and Violet. It’s quite the glow-up for Delibird, upon which this Paradox Pokemon is based. But Iron Bundle is better in pretty much every way, feared for its massive Speed and Special Attack, and competitive circles including Pokemon Showdown players have banned it to the Uber tier, as too powerful for the standard Pokemon meta. Iron Bundle’s base stats are the following:
- HP: 56
- Atk: 80
- Def: 114
- Sp: Atk: 124
- Sp. Def: 60
- Speed: 136
Iron Bundle is a very scary Pokemon to deal with. It’s fast, empowered by Quark Drive enough to get so fast it’ll steal your lunch and sweep your Pokemon in a flash. While it has a handful of weaknesses, half of the Types to threaten Iron Bundle are still destroyed by its STAB attacks, namely Grass and Rock. It has access to Freeze Dry, making it also deadly to other Water Types, Hydro Pump or Surf, Ice Beam, and Flip Turn for a quick switch-out for some hit-and-run action.
Ice Type Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet are some potentially deadly contenders, being one of the 7 Types currently to have a Pokemon banned into Ubers so far. If you’ve been an Ice Type stan, this might be your time to shine, even if it felt like the games have given you the cold shoulder for years. So be sure to pick your favorite competitors and put your opponents on ice.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet released on November 18, 2022, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
