Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine (SM)

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Location: Tapu Village (Island Scan on Monday)

Stats, Evolutions
Even Venipede is a better first-stager. Swinub is the weakest Ice-type and the weakest Ground-type in the game. Look at its stats and despair: 50 / 50 / 40 / 30 / 30 / 50. Wow. At least Magikarp and Feebas have good speed.

But as weak as it may be, it evolves just two levels after you get it, at level 33. It has a similar stat distribution, but it's speed hasn't increased from its Swinub days. All of its stats have been doubled except for that speed. It really benefits from the Eviolite.

Piloswine evolves into Mamoswine when it levels up with Ancient Power. You don't get Ancient Power until the move relearner, right before the LEAGUE. Uhhh... Mamoswine is still quite good, but there are only 5 battles left before the post-game. (6 if you count Hau). (7 if you count Tapu Koko). (8 if you count the battle that is going through all of those cutscenes). (9 if you count the battle that is enduring the ending credits). (10 if you count trying not to cry at the end). (11 if you count the encounter after the credits in which you find Hau toying with your Kantonian Meowth). Anyway, Mamoswine is still quite good, but there's not enough game left to appreciate it, although it has an advantage over 2 of the League. It has beefy HP, high attack, decent enough defense and speed and middling everything else.

Movepool, Abilities, Typing
Its unique move is Freeze-Dry. It's an ice-type move that ￼is super-effective against water-types. It's not a bad option, but the swines have a mediocre special attack. Still, not bad. The only other move that is worth it is Ice Shard, which is an Ice-type Quick Attack. That's all it gets before evolving, but it is recommendable to hold it off until level 37, when you get Earthquake.

Upon evolving, Piloswine gets Fury Attack... which is awful, do not teach. The next notable move is Thrash at level 41 (you probably already know what it does). If you didn't hold it off until level 37, it gets Earthquake at level 46. Then it gets Blizzard, which is powerful but inaccurate (TM Hail fixes this) and it uses its inferior attack stat. The last move it gets is Amnesia at level 58, which raises its low special defense stat in two stages.

Aside from the obligatory Ice-type moves... It doesn't get much via TMs, although you could teach it Reflect or Light Screen. Definitely teach it Rock Slide, and Sandstorm/Hail. Bulldoze slows the opponent down.

Important note: Piloswine and Mamoswine get the exact same moves.

Its abilities are Oblivious (prevents infatuation from Attract and the like) and Snow Cloak (increases its evasion in Hail). None of them are particularly useful, so go with either of them.

Its Ground/Ice typing is on par with Ground/Rock for best offensive type in the game, but defensively... It's worse than Ground/Rock. While it has less weaknesses than said typing, it has less resistances. 5 weaknesses, just 1 immunity and 1 resistance.

Important Battles
Very similar to Rhyhorn/don, except that it's decent against Hapu and Nanu and actually bad for Kahili.

Conclusion
Mamoswine is uncannily similar to fellow ground-types Mudsdale and Rhydon... but he's worse than either of them. It doesn't￼ help that Rhydon has lots of raw power and Mudsdale is all-around great. In many areas it's outclassed, the best move it gets is Earthquake (and Thrash), a move that both Mudsdale and Rhydon get, and its typing is great for offense but bad for defense. Another thing that hurts the swines is the fact that they don't reach their final form until right before the league. Overall, though, Mamoswine is passable, but if you want a Ground-type at this point of the game, choose the aforementioned two.

Rating: 53%