Ice Beam has long been one of the most powerful moves in all of Pokemon, and that hasn’t changed in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. The move still brings the ideal blend of power, accuracy, and effectiveness against a broad variety of Pokemon types, and players can teach a laid of different Pokemon the move using the Ice Beam TM.
Ice Beam has been largely the same move since it was first introduced in Pokemon Red & Blue. The move does 90 damage, has 100% accuracy, has a chance to freeze opponents, and hits dragon, ground, grass, and flying Pokemon for super effective damage. It’s a move basically any Pokemon Scarlet & Violet special attacker would benefit from having.
Infinitely reusable TMs are unfortunately a thing of the past, but players can use the TM Machine to craft as many moves as they would like. But in order to do this for Ice Beam, players first need to find the TM.
Where to Find Ice Beam TM in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Players can find the Ice Beam TM in one of several locations in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. Different locations can be accessed after unlocking new abilities with Koraidon or Miraidon. Some can be obtained after unlocking Surf, while others require the player to gain the ability to scale rocks. Some are easier to access than others, however.
The fastest way to get the Ice Beam TM is from a small island in the river southwest of Montenevera. Players can actually access it without any particular Koraidon or Miraidon abilities by heading southwest out of the city and trekking through the mountains. The mountains stand over the island and players can reach it with a precise jump. Its exact location can be seen here:
Another option for finding the Ice Beam TM is an island in the North Paldean Sea. Players can access it either by jumping off one of the mountains along Paldea’s northern borders and flying, or by surfing over to it. These are gained by beating the Open Sky Titan and Quaking Earth Titan, respectively. This may require a sprint through an area where players are under-leveled, but there are others options.
Another Ice Beam TM can be found on a cliff to the northeast of Mesagoza, along the perimeter of the Great Crater of Paldea. It requires players to gain the ability to climb rocks in order to access it but is the easiest to reach given its proximity to multiple Pokemon Centers.
After obtaining one Ice Beam TM, players are able to craft more at the TM Machine. Each copy of the TM costs 10,000 LP, five Cryogonal Ice, three Shellder Pearls, and three Delibird Parcels.
Should Pokemon Use Ice Beam or Blizzard?
Ice Beam is preferred over Blizzard in most situations in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. While Blizzard has 110 base power compared with Ice Beam’s 90, Ice Beam is 100% accurate while Blizzard is just 70%. That’s a significant reduction in accuracy for a relatively small amount of additional power.
That lack of accuracy can lead to frustration in the story mode and can make Terastallization more difficult in Tera Raid battles. That’s particularly troublesome in five and six-star Tera Raid battles where players are best served by having the ability to Terrastalize as soon as possible.
The one situation where Blizzard is more useful is in double battles, which stems from how Blizzard hits all opposing Pokemon. Though the accuracy reduction is still significant, it can still reliably hit at least one opponent.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.