PokéBase - Pokémon Q&A
0 votes
2,237 views

I had a argument with someone about this topic. He claims that Gen 2 Snorlax was the strongest Pokemon ever, and I want to prove him wrong. Any ideas?

by
What format in Gen 2? I'm assuming OU as the tags say.
I know that Skarmory is the most reliable check.  The only problem is that it gets destroyed by any Snorlax that carry Fire Blast or Thunder.
Gen 2 OU, and I want to reliably 2HKO it if possible
Machamp Cross Chop vs. Snorlax: 333-392 (63.6 - 74.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Explosion does 50%+ damage to unboosted Snorlax.

I can't think of anything else...

1 Answer

3 votes

Snorlax is a demon in Gen 2, as you know. It's hard to find reliable checks for it because there are a lot of different ways that Snorlax can be used successfully.

Electabuzz isn't really viable at all js. I mean it has a niche, but it's tiny in comparison to the other electric types and it has massive flaws otherwise.
Also ignore all suggestions that you use Fighting types/attacks unless it is Machamp's Cross Chop. It is the only viable Fighting Pokemon (besides Heracross, which lacks good Fighting attacks). Also it's not sufficient on its own, because Snorlax's attacks dent it really badly
The key thing with Snorlax is pressuring it as much as possible. Although it's possible to cover every set with two or three Pokemon, if you're running a more offensive team you might not run all of the necessary Pokemon because a lot of them have no business being on offensive teams. On such teams I actually find Donphan can be sufficient, but you need Spikes and to ensure that none of your Pokemon let Snorlax in without dealing decent chip damage. Also pressure becomes doubly important against BDLax obviously.
If you're taking a defensive route you'll usually be looking at phazing, maybe adding a Charmer/Growler as well. If you're relying solely on phazing you still need a plan for last poke Lax
In terms of raw C&C:
Skarmory beats all non-FBLax
Miltank and Umbreon beat all CurseLax but get destroyed by BD
Ghosts beat mono-Lax (duh) and are also good against all non-EQLax.
Steelix is weak to both of Lax's coverage moves, but its defence is workable even against EQ while it's a great fit on offensive teams
Haze Dragonite stalls Lax but does nothing and eventually gets haxed
Rock types beat all non-EQLax, but even against EQ they're generally bulky enough that they can work in a pinch
Machamp is a thing, but it takes a ton of damage from STAB attacks

Source

I would also go here and scroll down to Checks and Counters near the bottom.

Skarmory will be a major help, and is the most popular Gen 2 Snorlax check. It resists Normal, is immune to Earthquake, and is fairly bulky. It does have an issue of Snorlax that run Fire Blast and/or Thunder. If these moves replace Earthquake on a Lax's moveset, Skarmory becomes pretty useless.

Steelix and Tyranitar are major enemies to Snorlax, as they have fantastic defenses, and hit like trucks. Dynamic Punch on Ttar is helpful if it hits, and Steelix can wail on Lax with Curse+Earthquake and use Explosion when the tides start to turn. Steelix can tank a not +6 Earthquake, but Fire Blast is usually devastating.

Those are the major checks for Snorlax, and if you want to read more on them I would highly suggest taking a look at the second link, which is the Smogon page for Gen 2 Snorlax.

by