SandStorm Warriors ( sandstorm OU team)

[supertyranitar]

Hello everybody. This my first RMT, and I hope it is good enough. After seeing lots of competitive poke-trainers use sandstorm team, I felt inspired to make one of my own. More specifically, an offensive sandstorm team. This thread will have a quick summary of why I choose my pokemons, and then an in-depth look at my team.

Teambuilder

At this point, I didn't know if I wanted a defensive or offensive sandstorm team. I took Tyranitar as a weather summoner because of his good mix defenses compared to Hippowdon, and I took Donphan because he has rapid spin, is immune to sandstorm, and has a good base defense.

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Tyranitar is weak against fighting types, so I needed somebody to kill them. Like Reuniclus has magic guard, it's psychic type AND immune to sandstorm making it the perfect choice.

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Water and ground types attacks was a big problem to my team, rain teams was an even bigger problem. I needed to stop them, so I took Celebi because of its grass typing and its special bulk that I needed.

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Fire type attacks was a problem. The first pokemon that came to my mind was Landorus-T. It has great offensive power with a good S.T.A.B, ground type move.

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With Landorus-T know on my team, Ice types type where a problem. What better way to kill them then to flash-cannonning them in the face? Like Magnezone is electric type, Celebi can concentrate more on killing ground types.

In-depth look

T-Rex (Tyranitar) (M) @ Choice band
Ability: Sand Stream
Evs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 76 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Super Power
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A Tyranitar (or Hippowdon) is a must need on a sandstorm team. If I'm against a team that has no weather summoner of any kind, I lead with T-Rex. Especially if the opponent has a fighting type pokemon. If it does have a weather summoner, I use a pokemon that can kill that weather summoner. I don't have an other Choice Bander so i put it on T-Rex. Crunch and pursuit is for S.T.A.B and psychic type that try to escape, and to kill Latios / Latias. Stone Edge is for S.T.A.B. Super Power is to kill steel types.

Donphan (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def /4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
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His job is to Rapid Spin when needed, and set Hazard. Earthquake is for S.T.A.B. Ice Shard is for Flying types which are not effected by Earthquake, and for Dragon types that are weak to ice. I put him in if I feel I need to put Stealth Rock in the game, or if I need to Rapid Spin. Lefties is for him to recover some health.

Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Nature Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 236 SDef / 20 Spd
Calm Nature
- Giga Drain
- Recover
- U-Turn
- Thunder Wave​

I send him in to kill ground or water types (or both). Giga Drain is my S.T.A.B move, and is a way to recover while damaging an other pokemon. Recover is if I need to recover (hint hint, thats why it is called recover) a lot of health. U-Turn is to switch while doing damage, ideally when the other team tries to switch in a Celebi counter. Thunder Wave is to cripple the enemy. Lefties is an extra recovery item.

Bubble (Reuniclus) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
- Calm mind
- Recover
- Psyshock
-Focus Blast
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When I am facing a weather-less team and there is a Fighting type, I send T-Rex to lure them out. Then I send Reuniclus to set up and destroy teams. Calm mind is my set up move. Recover is to take back any damage I took. Psychock is my S.T.A.B move, and Focus Blast is for Steel and Dark types. I send him too if I fear that an other pokemon will be poisoned, burned, ect... because Magic Guard makes Bubble immune to those type of attack. Lefties for extra HP gain.

Landorus-T
Landorus (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Rock Polish
- Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-Explosion
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I take him out for a late-sweep. Rock Polish for the speed boost (Rock Polish over Sword Dance because of his already extreme attack base stat). Earthquake for the S.T.A.B. Stone Edge for the synergy with Earthquake. Explosion when my life is low. I send Landorus-T out, use Rock Polish to out-speed pretty much all none choice scarfed pokemon, attack until my life is low from Life Orb, and then go Ka-Boom. Intimidate is helpful because it helps me not die from other pokemon's attacks.

Magnet (Magnezone) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
-Flash Cannon
-Hidden Power (fire)
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Magnezone is for Water types, and to trap then kill Steel types. Volt Switch is great for a choiced pokemon to go away. Thunderbolt and Earthquake are for S.T.A.B. Hidden Power fire is for Ferrothorn. Choice Specs is for that extra damage. Magnet is an other late game sweeper.

Threat List
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Do not have it yet. Would love any help.

Ending words
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I admit I took the sets from Smogon, so if you want to know why the EVs are like that, look it up at the Smogon competitive pokedex. I would love any name, EVs, attacks, or pokemon suggestions for my team. Could you maybe rate this team out of ten while you are at it (ten being best and one being worst). Thank you.

 

[Pen Ink]

could you explain what sandstorm even does for your team?

 

[supertyranitar]

could you explain what sandstorm even does for your team?

It boosts rock type special defense by 50% and does passive damage to the enemy, making them harder to stay in game. It prevents other weather teams to abuse their weather (like vaporean with hydration).

 

[supertyranitar]

I hate doing those types of comments, but please may I have some help and tips with my team because I am a rather new competitive player. Thanks

 

[Reymedy]

Hello.

Given the time you commited in that RMT, you probably deserve at least a rate.
I see that the team is around setting-up either Reuniclus or Landorus-T. It's easy to notice that those two pokemons like to set-up on the same thing (Physical attackers using Fighting moves). The good point though, is that I can see Landorus-T RP being annoying to offensive team, while Reuniclus is quite the threat for defensive teams.
However, I'm really puzzled about Magnezone and Donphan presence. I don't feel like your team is begging to have SR off the field, and I feel like Magnezone's only purpose is to trap Skarmory. However, it should not take you a whole team slot in this situation.

So, I'll start by mentionning a couple of threats :

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- First, Ebelt Keldeo with HP Bug could 6-0 you. I mean, there is nothing in your team that isn't outsped and 0HKO'd after SR bar Reuniclus (outsped, 2HKO'd, and not able to 0HKO the Keldeo). That's a pretty big concern.
- Mamoswine. He outspeeds all your pokemons. Everything gets 0HKO'd bar Reuniclus, but you're not gonna be switching into one of his Stabs.
- Alakazam with Signal Beam enjoys a pretty good coverage against your team.
- Gengar too.
- Gyarados. Really threatening, can set-up on Donphan or Celebi and I don't know how you could stop the sweep once he DD'd.
- Mixed Kyurem-B. Not only he can set-up easily on Celebi, but he scares off all your pokemons bar Tyranitar/Reuniclus.
- Landorus-T. Especially the Bulky Pivot set. Oddly enough, there is a Super Effective move in its set for every single pokemon in your team, which is pretty annoying given that, on the other side, you don't really have anything strong enough to 0HKO it.
- Scizor is quite the threat. You don't have anything available to hurt him enough, and he can damage/pivot/set-up on many members. Your answer is probably Magnezone, but if he's a CB, he's just gonna U-Turn all day (he comes on anything), which means that beside a double switch : you can't trap him. On top of that, if it's actually a SD Jolly Scizor, you're as good as dead.
- Volcarona. You just get swept by this one. Funny enough, it does't even need to set-up a Quiver Dance.

It seems like a lot right ? Well in fact the main issue is that your team is SLOW.
There are threats that you can't deal with, unless you outspeed them (or unless you have a team made of 6 walls... and even so...). Thus, you need to have at least one Scarfer. Just by having a Scarfer, you solve almost all, if not all the threats I listed(or at least, give you a way to play around them).


So here are the main changes :

- Get a Choice Scarf Keldeo. I mean, with the proper set, it can check every single pokemon in that threat list. HPump/SecretSword/IcyWind/HPElec is the way to go here, in order to fix that Gyarados weakness too. I don't see any other better change available, and it does wonder paired with Tyranitar. Get rid of that Donphan, I don't see which purpose it serves, bar being redundant with Landorus-T, and spinning some SR.

- You lost your SR user though. You can change that Landorus-T set for the Bulky Pivot set onsite.

- I don't feel like your Magnezone is doing anything really useful for the team. You should be using another Steel pokemon. A mixed Jirachi could be used instead. That's quite the trendy set at the moment, but I think that it could do a fine job at taking Dragon hits like Magnezone, while increasing the offensive pressure. It does check a good part of the threat list. Thunderbolt/HPFire/IcyWind/IronHead, a Hasty Nature, max Speed and SpA would be the set I'd use.

Now, in my opinion the OTR set for Reuniclus is simply better suited for your team. But it's up to you to do this change. Celebi may not be the most valuable member, but anything with a decent typing (like Dragons) and a Water resistance could be here. Do some testings ;)

That's all, I hope I helped, welcome in competitive pokemon and good luck in the future.


TL;DR :

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Scarf Keldeo > Donphan
Bulky Landorus-T
Mixed Jirachi > Magnezone
Consider the option of twerking Reuniclus set, reconsider Celebi's presence (some other pokemons could do its job arguably better)

 

[supertyranitar]

I agree with everything. Thank you so much, and I will try all suggestions:)