Did things get chilly in here?
The Ice type is the poster child of the glass cannon archetype, hitting four different types for super-effective damage while having four weaknesses and only one resistance, which is Ice itself.
Ice Pokémon are poor defensively, but with the advent of Terrastalization, that isn’t a problem anymore since you can just switch your type to one that is the most convenient. Gen IX is the time for Ice types to truly shine.
For this reason, we will be talking about the 10 Ice types that shine brighter than the rest in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, based on their design, lore, and competitive viability.
The 10 best Ice-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
10) Abomasnow
Abomasnow has a real niche right now in Scarlet and Violet since it is the only ‘mon that has Snow Warning to set up the Snow weather condition, while also being able to set up Aurora Veil right after.
The reason it was looked down upon earlier was due to its horrendous dual-typing, giving it a very clear death sentence in Fire-type moves. With Terrastalization, however, changing your type defensively can let you continue to support your team or go on the offensive with your strong Ice-type moves too.
9) Glaceon
How could this Glaceon not make the list? It is literally the coolest Eeveelution to exist.
Glaceon does have the mono-typing of Ice, which is pretty bad defensively on its own, but it does have pretty good bulk. Couple that with the Snow weather condition and you’ve got a pretty bulky lil boy that has a phenomenal Special Attack stat to fire off strong Blizzards with.
Because of its rather mediocre Speed, Glaceon is best suited to be run under Trick Room, but you could also make Tailwind work for it too.
8) Rotom: Frost
While this form of Rotom would not be a competitive player’s first pick, Rotom: Frost certainly has a niche in Gen IX.
By Terrastalizing into the Electric type, it gets rid of all its weaknesses and still retains its STAB on Ice moves, letting it fire powerful Ice Beams and 100 percent accurate Blizzards in the snow, along with its Electric moves for perfect coverage.
We also theorize that it could have some delicious food waiting for you inside it. Rotom did possess a fridge, after all.
7) Cetitan
This arctic whale is certainly an interesting Pokémon that has a lot more going on than meets the eye.
Cetitan has a monstrous HP stat that is only betrayed by its poor Defenses, which can be easily remedied by investing a little in them to make it fairly bulky. With Slush Rush, Cetitan can go for incredibly speedy Ice or coverage moves to threaten a knockout on the opponent when under Snow.
It also has access to Thick Fat for the ideal ability on a Belly Drum set, or Sheer Force if you want to go all-out offensive with a Life Orb set, which could be the ideal item for it since its Attack is just a tad bit on the lower end.
6) Eiscue
We realize that a lot of Pokémon fans were disappointed and weirded out by this completely bizarre concept from Game Freak. With them, we are going to have to respectfully disagree; Eiscue is an absolute masterpiece.
This silly little penguin with an ice cube for a head actually hides its real face inside. When Eiscue gets hit by a Physical move, it reverts to its Noice Face, which can stand for “no ice face” and even “noice face,” which is basically slang for ‘nice face.’ Do you understand now why we called it a masterpiece?
It is said that Eiscue creates cold air from within its head to create the ice cube around it to protect it from heat while dangling the sole hair from its head in the water to lure and catch prey. What a goofball.
5) Iron Bundle
Yes, the day has come when even Delibird has been redeemed. Who would have ever thought?
The only Paradox Pokémon on this list, Iron Bundle is an incredibly threatening force in the competitive scene of Scarlet and Violet. Iron Bundle excels in its Speed and Special Attack and can boost either of them by 50 percent due to its ability Quark Drive, depending on how you train it. This means you can either choose to be the fastest thing on the field or have the best chance to knock your opponents out in one hit.
Furthermore, Ice and Water is great STAB coverage for this ‘mon, and with the coverage from Terrastalization, Iron Bundle can be incredibly threatening to the majority of Pokémon in the metagame at any given point in time.
4) Baxcalibur
The pseudo-Legendary of Gen IX, apart from being incredibly badass-looking, Baxcalibur has a lot of promise when it comes to the competitive scene of the game.
This Dragon/Ice dual-type has an imposing Attack stat along with good bulk and middling Speed, which can be remedied by running a Dragon Dance set that will also boost its offenses to unfathomable heights.
With access to its signature move Glaive Rush, it can nuke enemies pretty easily even with just neutral damage, and along with its signature ability Thermal Exchange, Fire-type attackers will have to think twice before clicking a move against this formidable beast.
3) Weavile
In competitive VGC, Weavile can be an amazing pick for players, with access to a combination of a high base Speed and the move Fake out, letting it support its teammates as they set up or deal damage. Other than being a very fast Fake Out user, it also has a good Attack stat and amazing offensive typing to make quick work of its foes.
Not only did Weavile soar up to the ranks of the most popular Ice types back in 2005 when it was released, but also one of the most popular Pokémon overall. It has a slick design, making it an uncontested addition to your team even without knowing if it’s a strong ‘mon or not, which is honestly secondary when it comes to in-game playthroughs.
Generation IV fans definitely have a lot of amazing memories of Weavile from traversing across Sinnoh and using it in battle, or even when you went up against it in the climactic fight with Cyrus, Team Galactic’s sociopathic leader.
2) Frosmoth
Frosmoth was the very first Bug/Ice dual-type Pokémon the franchise received back in Generation VIII, and it certainly did not disappoint.
This chilling bug has a very ethereal and majestic design, making it seem as delicate as ice but also grand and imposing at the same time. Adding onto its royal feel are the frequent accents of baby blue all over its body with its sapphire eyes glistening from the top. Honestly, one of our favorite Pokémon designs of all time.
It looks great and all, but then you see it during competitive play—oh man. That is one unfortunate dual-typing. Two whole four-times weaknesses to Fire and Rock, apart from the other weaknesses in Flying and Steel certainly aren’t a good look for this beautiful little bug. Except, Generation IX solved that little problem for it.
Frosmoth is primed to shine in Scarlet and Violet, due to the introduction of Terrastalization. With it, Frosmoth can simply change its debilitating typing defensively, giving it more staying power. With its broken Hidden Ability in Ice Scales that reduces all damage from Special Attacks by half, it can tank common attacks that target it even better.
Then, setting up with Quiver Dance to sweep the opponent becomes easier than ever. It’s Frosmoth’s time to shine, and you better respect it.
1) Chien-Pao
This cute lil long boy is actually one of the four members of the Treasures of Ruin quartet in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Chien-Pao—just like the other Treasures of Ruin—has an incredibly compelling design.
This Legendary Pokémon is based on snow leopards and saber-tooth tigers, evident from its long fangs which are represented by the two broken halves of an ancient sword hanging from the corners of its mouth. That’s pretty darn cool.
The sword attached to the corners of its mouth also has large implications for this Pokémon’s lore.
Chien-Pao is known as the “Sword of Ruin,” because its true form is the broken halves of the sword attached inside its mouth. An old legend says that the hatred of those who perished by the sword long ago has clad itself in snow and become a Pokémon. We just got the chills.
Chien-Pao’s ability is aptly named Sword of Ruin, and when it hits the battlefield, every other Pokémon on the field gets their Defense lowered by 25 percent, letting Chien-Pao and its partner take advantage of this and hit their opponents for increased damage. It is also one of the fastest Pokémon in the game with a respectable Attack stat and amazing type coverage, letting it be one of the most prominent threats in the metagame.
With neat supportive options such as Taunt, Haze, Snarl, and consistent damage with its signature move Ruination, this kitty cat has a lot of modes that you need to respect. For all of these reasons, Chien-Pao sits at the No. 1 spot on our list.
