OU Sand (Mostly)

[Psycho Cut]

Ok, here's my sand team that I've been using on PO. It's been doing pretty well, but I'm sure it can be better with some input from you lot. It's a sand team, but not a normal one as there's no landorus/gliscor so it has at least some variety.

The Team at a Glance

I'm not going to do a team building section as most of why I chose the pokemon is listed in it's description.

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The Team in Detail:

Tyranitar @ Sitrus Berry
Sand Stream
Jolly
EVs: 252 Att, 252 Speed, 4HP
Moves:
--Substitute
--Dragon Dance
--Focus Punch
--Crunch

This isn't a set you'll be used to. But that's good, as the opponent won't be expecting it either. I thought this up myself and I'm rather proud of it. On top of tyranitar's obvious role, he switches in against something that doesn't like tyranitar then uses sub as the opponent switches out (also can be done agaisnt obvious status moves). Often the opponent will bring in counters such as excadrill, terrakion or lucario and get a nasty surprise as I use focus punch. If not, I dragon dance then sweep.

Excadrill @ Life Orb
Sand Rush
Adamant
Evs: 252 Att, 180 Speed, 76 HP
Moves:
--Swords Dance
--X scissor
--Rock Slide
--EQ

Excadrill. The heart and soul of every sand team. The EVs and nature allow Excadrill to be extra powerful and bulky while still outspeeding everything but other Excadrills with more speed investment. Swords dance is useful on a switch and boosts his attack to CRAZY levels. EQ is STAB, the other two moves are coverage.

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Iron Barbs
Sassy
EVs: 252 HP, 180 Sp.Def, 76 Def
Moves:
--Leech Seed
--Protect
--Curse
--Gyro Ball

Ferrothorn is god. He's one of my all time favourite pokemon to use. Leech seed and leftovers provide great recovery, especially when protect is used every other turn. When protect isn't used, ferrothorn uses curse so that he can hit massive damage with Gyro Ball. Once his counters are out the way, ferrothorn can destroy the rest of the team.

Chandelure @ Air Balloon
Flash Fire
Modest
EVs: 252 Sp.Atk, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Moves:
--Flame Charge
--Flamethrower
--Shadow Ball
--Psychic

As a wise, spider-like man once said: 'With great power comes great responsibility' and the great power of ferrothorn comes with the great responsibility of making sure he isn't hit by fire attacks. This is where this guy comes in. You're probably thinking 'Why not Heatran?' Simply put, with heatran on the team, the weakness to fighting was too much, and I needed something I could safetly switch in to fighting type attacks (Even latios isn't safe sometimes, especially when he's on low HP). Chandelure get's over it's speed hindrance after one flame charge while my opponent switches or pops the balloon. After that, it's free to sweep. I am having trouble deciding on the 4th move though: HP ice allows me to deal with the ever-common dragons and gliscor but psychic helps get rid of the aforementioned fighting types.

Reuniclus @ Life Orb
Magic Guard
Bold
Evs: 252 HP, 252 Sp.Atk, 4 Def
Moves:
--Calm Mind
--Recover
--Psychic
--Focus Blast

Reuniclus is another special sweeper and he helps counters fighting types and trick room teams. Calm Mind is to set up, so that he can hit really hard with high sp.atk and life orb. Recover is for recovery. Psychic is STAB and isn't psyshock because, as I've said, I have other methods of dealing with chansey/blissey. Focus Blast is coverage.

Latios @ White Herb
Levitate
Timid
EVs: 252 Sp.Atk, 252 Speed, 4HP
Moves:
--Draco Meteor
--Psychic
--Ice Beam
--HP Fire

Last but not least is latios. I love latios, he's so versatile and I use him on almost any team I make. He outspeeds most things and can blow big holes in them with STAB Draco meteor and Psychic. Thunderbolt is coverage and hp fire takes down ferrothorn, forretress and scizor, for an easy and (for the opponent) unexpected OHKO. White Herb allows latios to use draco meteor once without penalty and having to switch. I did also consider psyshock to deal with blissey, and it worked, but I had other pokemon that could easily take down blissey so I felt the extra power boost of psychic would be more beneficial.

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Ok, so there you have it. Like I say, the team's been doing well, but I reckon I can get it to go higher. All comments and critisim are welcomed!

Changes will be in bold!

 

[Typhlosionvsworld]

Truthfully, its not a good idea to place Pokemon affected by SS on an SS team. Just saying.

 

[Psycho Cut]

Truthfully, its not a good idea to place Pokemon affected by SS on an SS team. Just saying.

Well, maybe I didn't make this clear, but I normally don't lead with tyranitar, sometimes i do, but not always. Usually it's rotom-W. Besides sticking to a limited spectrum of pokemon makes my team very predictable. There are a lot of teams that can easily deal with a sandstorm team, but less that can deal with a sandstorm team and latios, chandelure etc.

 

[Vandslaux]

Nice team, Psycho Cut. I'd go with HP Ice on Chandelure, as you already have a Psychic attack on Latios, and not enough Ice attacks. As such, go with Psyshock over Psychic on Latios, for you-know-why reasons.

 

[Psycho Cut]

Yeah, I've gone with HP Ice for now, for that reason. I still think that psychic is a better bet, as I explained. Psyshock never really did that much anyway

 

[CloudVII]

For some reason, I just don't like your Tyranitar. Maybe it's the DD. Maybe it's Crunch being the only attack besides FP, I don't know. It might be the use of Sitrus over Lefties. But something puts me off with him. If you want to run SubPunch, try this.

Tyranitar@Lefties
Sand Stream/Unnerve
Impish/Adamant
252 Atk/(No idea what the rest should be. Invest in defenses, none in speed.)
Substitute
Focus Punch
Stone Edge/Protect
Earthquake/Protect

SubPunch of course. Last two slots can go EdgeQuake set, or Protect for some Lefties healing.

 

[Psycho Cut]

Nah. I like my tyranitar set, it can carve a big whole in unprepared teams. And most are unprepared agaisnt that set. However, the use of leftovers instead of sitrus berry is a valid point and a possibility.

 

[windsong]

Woah this is a pretty nice team you have here!!!!!1!

Anyways, sand teams pretty much 6 - 0 you because nothing on your team can take hits from +2 Excadrill, and it outspeeds your entire team with sand up. You can't even speed tie with it because you're not running enough speed on your own Excadrill. Rain teams also hurt you a ton, because nothing on your team is capable of switching into Tornados, who 2HKOs your entire team between Hurricane and Focus Blast, so he pretty much 6 - 0s you, and the only way you can beat him is to revenge kill with Excadrill or Rotom-W, neither of whom can switch in very well. SubNP Thunderous also hurts you a ton, especially with rain support, as it can basically beat everything that you have, and neither of your two answers to it can beat it if it has a sub up. HP Rock Volcarona basically 6 - 0s you, and the only way you can beat it by revenge killing with Excadrill. In sun, it's gg if HP Rock Volcarona sets up on you. Rock Polish Terrakion outright 6 - 0s you and you have to be really careful dealing with other Terrakion, since choice sets are capable of KOing one of your mons every time they switch in if they predict well. Teams with Magnezone + Dragons pretty much 6 - 0 you, especially if they carry a weather changer, since then nothing on your team is outspeeding Scarfed Haxorus. Stall pretty much always 6 - 0s you, since nothing you have can break common cores, like Blissey / Skarmory. Conkeldurr with some SpDef investment 6 - 0s you, and your only real way to beat it is to trick it a scarf with Rotom, which means you're sacrificing at least one mon always against it. In general you have trouble with anything that has fighting/dark or fighting/bug type coverage, meaning stuff like Darmanitan, Infernape, and Mienshao all hurt you. You have only one mon (Rotom) that can switch in to MixTar, the most common TTar set, and it takes a truckload of damage from Crunch. Rotom-W is under a ton of pressure to counter basically all DD sweepers, and if they're lum, they beat you since they can take the WoW and ko. Mixed Hydreigon can OHKO every single mon on your team, and OTR Reuniclus also 6 - 0s you.

Anyways, in order to fix some of these problems, I suggest using Skarmory over Ferrothorn, letting you deal with sand a lot better, a specially defensive Heatran over Chandelure, who isn't really helping your team very much, and Gastrodon over Rotom-W to provide a good switch in to the genies. With those changes being made, I also think that you should use a Scarf Tyranitar set and drop Latios for CM Roar Latias to make use of spikes.

So the final team would be ScarfTar/Heatran/Gastrodon/Skarmory/Latias/Excadrill.

 

[Jew Bagel]

Well he is a Serebii tutor, I wish you would pay more attention to me the guy your supposed to tutor Eevee.



Any ways the only thing I would change is the Ferrothorn, quite Frankly I just don't like them, but another reason is that a more effective wall is Dusclopse. More people prepare for a Ferro than they do for Dusclopse.

Here is the set that I use.

Dusclopse@Evilolite
Nature- Calm
EV's 128 in both Defenses and the rest in HP
Moveset
-Pain split
-Willowisp
-Seismic Toss
-Ice beam

Pain split to recover, Wiloswisp is a better alternative to Toxic, because of the abundance of steel types, Seismic toss is for main damage, Ice beam is for Dragons, and stuff that resist Seismic Toss.

 

[Psycho Cut]

Hmmm... That's some pretty big changes you've got there, Epic Eevee.

In practice, I tend not to have too much trouble with volcarona, a rock slide from excadrill sorts him out. And rain isn't too much of a problem as long as I can keep tyranitar alive. I take your point about other Excadrills though, especially if they have an air balloon.

Heatran, as I said, just adds to the fighting weakness to much, so I don't have a reliable fighting switch in. Gastrodon, however, could work. I've seen them used very effectively before and it's true that they just stop the Genies in their tracks. How about this set:

Gastrodon @ Leftovers
Storm Drain
Bold
Evs: 252 HP, 128 Def, 128 Sp.Def
Moves:
--Toxic
--Protect
--Recover
--Earth Power

 

[Psycho Cut]

Bumpety bump!

 

[PokefanTez]

The gastrodon set looks like it could work. I'm actually using one that's similar to it on a set I'm creating right now. The only thing I would change on your Gastrodon set is giving it water stab as well.

 

[Psycho Cut]

Good point, though maybe not as well as, but instead of, Earth Power. A lot of things negate earth power, balloon, levitate etc.. But far fewer things would negate scald, and it would also give me a chance to burn.

 

[lucario44444444]

Your team gets raped by Hydregion

 

[Psycho Cut]

Your team gets raped by Hydregion

No it doesn't. Latios outspeeds it and OHKO's it with Draco Meteor, Excadrill outspeeds it in sand and OHKO's it with X-scissor and people like to bring Hydreigon out against my subbed TTar, who OHKO's it with Focus Punch.

 

[lucario44444444]

DD tyranitar sucks, too

 

[Psycho Cut]

DD tyranitar sucks, too

No it doesn't. As I've said before, the set is unusaul, but I've found it works, very well.

Now unless you have some decent feedback, would you kindly go and 'rate' someone else's team.

 

[Typhlosionvsworld]

No it doesn't. As I've said before, the set is unusaul, but I've found it works, very well.

Now unless you have some decent feedback, would you kindly go and 'rate' someone else's team.

His User title does say "certified dick".

Well, maybe I didn't make this clear, but I normally don't lead with tyranitar, sometimes i do, but not always. Usually it's rotom-W. Besides sticking to a limited spectrum of pokemon makes my team very predictable. There are a lot of teams that can easily deal with a sandstorm team, but less that can deal with a sandstorm team and latios, chandelure etc.

Ah, I see. Well... Wash Rotom isn't the best form of Rotom, but if you really want to stick to it use Volt Switch, Hydro Pump, Shadow Ball, and HP Fire/Ground

And with so many moves that break substitutes, subpunch set may not be the best set for your Tar, or at least, rather than crunch, run Stone Edge, its more powerful and will rip through teams once Tar is et up.

 

[Psycho Cut]

Fair point, I hadn't noticed that

 

[Psycho Cut]

Made a few changes. I opted for psychic on chandelure after all, it's pointless switching into a fightning type then having to switch out again, I also changed it to modest. It'll still outspeed most stuff after a flame charge, but it'll be more powerful. The lack of ice coverage has been made up by changing thunderbolt to ice beam on latios.

My team also has quite a large scrafty weakness, the only way around it is a draco meteor before it sets up, or burning/tricking it with rotom.

Anyway, more feedback please!