Peace be with all of you... I am Luna. After a long, dry period throughout ORAS and upon the release of USUM, my inspiration for the series rekindled. A few past friends of mine wanted to step up their game and came to me for assistance in breeding and competitive team-building. As a long-time breeder, I am knowledgeable enough to help them cover the basics. However, when it comes to competitive battling, I am evidently lagging behind in the meta; so, I hope to accomplish more of my role as a Sandstorm user since the Weather Wars by seeking advice from my fellow peers and playing consistently in order to adapt to this environment and continue to improve as a player. As I am a staunch user of the combination of Tyranitar and Excadrill, my goal is to make the most of them while retaining a relatively balanced playstyle. Counsel and feedback are always appreciated.
Teambuilding Process
I began with the infamous weather breaker trio core from back in the XY/ORAS days - Excadrill, Tyranitar, and Mega Charizard Y. On the offensive hand, Tyranitar and Mega Charizard Y complement each other incredibly well, with the former breaking down most special walls the latter struggles with, and vice versa. Excadrill can then utilize the remaining turns of the former's Sandstorm in order to pick off weakened threats or begin setting up for a late-game sweep. On the defensive hand, Excadrill and Tyranitar can tank Rock- and Electric-type moves for Charizard while Charizard can tank the Fire-, Bug-, Grass-, Ground-, Fighting-, Fairy-, and Steel-type moves aimed at the former two. Excadrill can also opt to spin away Zard's bane in Stealth Rock, allowing him to come in for free more often and wall-break when necessary.
I've noticed a significant creep in power and speed with the additions of such Pokémon as Tapu Koko, Ash Greninja, and Kartana to name a few, as well as the new threat of Thousand Arrows Zygarde. Partners capable of applying immediate pressure and making use of either U-turn or Volt Switch are appreciated as this trio requires momentum in order to start dishing out heavy damage. Sand teams also require a check to rain teams; so, Tapu Koko and Tangrowth were added to check and counter such Rain threats as Pelipper, Swampert, and Tornadus-Therian. Tapu Koko also provides free U-turns and Volt Switches against Pokémon it pressures. AV Tangrowth works well in absorbing most, if not all, Water-type moves for the trio while being able to provide utility for the team a la its ability Regenerator and Knock Off, Hidden Power, and Earthquake. Tangrowth also checks and walls variants of Zygarde lacking Outrage or Devastating Drake if it runs HP Ice as Zard effectively handles Ferrothorn and Scizor, and Kartana lacking Z-moves if it runs HP Fire.
At this point, I've stumbled upon an old nemesis of mine: the inability to choose a sixth member. After reading up on the OU Viability Rankings and OU Good Cores threads, I decided the last member of my team would be Ash Greninja for its respectable wall-breaking power when coupled with either of a Z-move or Specs. He can also work in tandem with Tapu Koko in forming a VoltTurn core and eliminating Ground-type checks to Koko. On the other hand, he can form a trap-stacking core with Tyranitar utilizing Spikes as a way to continue applying pressure when forcing switches.
I've begun playtesting at this stage in the process...
Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that Tyranitar with its long-time support set isn't as good as it used to be as it lacks the power to effectively weaken walls as it should. Thus, I removed Tangrowth and brought back an old friend in Ferrothorn, whose utility has shown good results for me over the years. With this change, Tyranitar now runs a Banded set - a change I don't regret making. With most Fighting-types out of the picture, I feel more comfortable running four Fighting-weak members... until I remembered Mega Lopunny exists and Hawlucha had become relevant.
Despite his naturally good Speed, Tapu Koko wasn't going to outspeed either of them, especially the latter after Unburden activates. Though it can occasionally tank a +2 Acrobatics or High Jump Kick, it would often require a prior sacrifice or be switching in as it uses Swords Dance in hopes that it doesn't run Poison Jab. As a result, Zapdos replaces Tapu Koko. It is a much bulkier Electric-type which trades the Dragon immunity and Speed for bulk, versatility, and a secondary Ground immunity while retaining the ability to generate momentum a la Volt Switch and be a secondary Fighting sponge. It's also a good turn-one scout for Choice Scarf users thanks to Pressure acting as a pseudo Speed reveal. With Defog, Excadrill can now run Swords Dance.
The one problem the concurrent team had was holding its own against stall and semi-stall archetypes, as status and hazards would often run rampant. Tapu Fini fit the bill perfectly, being able to better support the team through role compression in both preventing and removing hazards and status (bar Zard and Zapdos), allowing Zapdos to run HP Ice in order to more effectively check Landorus turn one. The downside is the prevalence of 4MSS preventing her from also running Haze, as Nature's Madness alongside Taunt is crucial to slowing down walls, and Moonblast is a move I prefer not to give up as she can more easily pressure Zygarde, Garchomp, and Kyurem-B with it.
After much testing, I've come to realize much of the match-ups this team has against faster Pokémon come typically as 50/50s or one-sided. As Discharge only has a 30% to paralyze its target and it's not toting much bulk, Zapdos soon became a shaky check to many of the meta's dangerous sweepers. Latios alleviates that pressure to an extent courtesy of its past nickname "Droppin' a Draco" while toting a Scarf, easily pressuring most +1 targets and either outright removing them, forcing them out, or denting them to the point where Excadrill can come in and clean later. Having a secondary hazards remover is also beneficial as Latios isn't as susceptible to Spikes or Webs as either of Tapu Fini or Excadrill.
Detailed Analysis
地鼹 (チもぐら Chimogura, "Earth Mole")
Excadrill @ Steelium Z | Sand Rush
Jolly | 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
• Earthquake
• Iron Head
• Swords Dance
• Rapid Spin
* change courtesy of DiegoP
The notorious representative of the Weather Breaker trio returns once again to fulfill his role as a cleaner. Banished to Ubers in the BW meta and let back in after the ability ban, Excadrill is well known for being a top-tier threat under the influence of Sandstorm with his sky-high Attack stat and virtually unresisted coverage in Rock, Ground, and Steel. The spread is standard: max investment in Attack and Speed make him as fast and strong as possible, while a Jolly nature lets him outspeed neutral-natured max-speed Thundurus-Therian and anything slower outside of Sand and out-speed standard Unburden Hawlucha with Sand Rush - a feat very few can accomplish without prior boosts. While this team would normally appreciate the triad coverage mentioned before, this variant will be running only its dual-STAB as its primary role is as a Cleaner in both senses of the word. Swords Dance along with Steelium Z let it sweep what remains of the team's prior wall-breaking, and Rapid Spin lets it clear hazards from its side of the field. Steelium Z is chosen over Groundium Z as nothing is immune to Corkscrew Crash, and such that are often targets of Tectonic Rage are hit harder by the former and/or have teammates that can sponge Ground-type moves - those of which are some of the most prepared-for moves in the current meta.
竜克 (リュウコクRyugoku, "Overpowering Dragon")
Tyranitar @ Choice Band | Sand Stream
Adamant | 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
• Pursuit
• Crunch
• Stone Edge
• Earthquake
Tyranitar has always been my favorite Pokémon, with amazing bulk, a wide range of moves, an awesome Attack stat, and a cool design to back it up. He's been a staple on almost all of my competitive Sand teams since Gen IV when Sandstorm boosted the SpD of all Rock-types in play. This time around, however, he won't be running his usual Support set - a set I've been using for the longest time now. Instead, his role now shifts to that of a physical wall-breaker, foregoing elongated sand turns for sheer power. This set was recommended to me by one of the raters who directed me to the Strategy Dex page. Pursuit, Crunch, and Stone Edge are his tools of the trade, letting him trap and threaten much of the special walls, spinners, and Defoggers he's meant to. Earthquake lets him reliably threaten Mawile, Magearna, Heatran, and Toxapex. The 80 HP EVs let it survive a +1 Bug Buzz from Timid Volcarona under Sand while the rest is dumped in Speed and Attack to make it as fast and strong as possible. Notably, it allows him to outspeed uninvested base 80s and anything slower. Ultimately, his goal is to pave the way for Excadrill to clean up uninhibited, with the help of Mega Charizard Y's special wall-breaking capabilities.
竜弥 (たつや Tatsuya, "Eternal Dragon")
Latios @ Choice Scarf | Levitate
Timid | 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
• Defog
• Draco Meteor
• Thunderbolt
• Trick
* change courtesy of Chaos Emperor Dragon
Ever since Gen IV, Latios has been known by the notorious nickname "Droppin' a Draco", carrying into OU in Gen V as the most prominent user of it alongside his sister, Latias, and Hydreigon. During the Weather Wars wherein it was permitted in OU, the Lati twins have always been a great help to Tyranitar in Sand teams because of their ability to effectively pressure and revenge-kill the ever-present Fighting-types in the tier, namely Conkeldurr and Keldeo, as well as be a secondary threat to Gengar. This time around, however, Latios outshines his sister as the power creeps this generation have demanded a consistent overall power output. To this end, Latios was chosen for this team. He gives the team a secondary hazard cleaner by virtue of Defog as well as being able to revenge-kill +1 Zygarde, Dragonite, and Mega Charizard X, as well as Mega Lopunny and Mega Medicham, when carrying a Choice Scarf - all by virtue of its nickname-sake: Draco Meteor. With Thunderbolt, it pressures Skarmory, Mantine, Celesteela, and Toxapex; and allows it to revenge-kill opposing Ash Greninja and Mega Charizard Y. Trick allows it to cripple such walls as Tangrowth and Celesteela by passing them its Scarf, easing pressure for the team in the long run. As an added bonus, Latios lures in opposing Tyranitar and Magearna for Excadrill - the former of which can set Sandstorm for it.
燭龍 (烛龙 Zhulong, "Illuminating Dragon")
Mega Charizard Y @ Charizardite | Blaze -> Drought
Timid | 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
• Flamethrower
• Solar Beam
• Focus Blast
• Roost
* change courtesy of stuuful12
Mega Charizard Y has been a staple on my hyper-offensive sand teams since early-ORAS, sporting a handful of resistances, the coveted offensive Fire-typing, awesome power coupled with Drought boosting its Fire STAB, and a semi-reliable recovery that lets it keep wall-breaking throughout the game. Drought also lets it nullify the current weather, which - when combined with Tyranitar's Sand Stream - allows the team near-full control over the concurrent weather. Offensively, it's a special powerhouse, boasting the ability to effectively weaken or outright KO many physical walls in the current meta with its Fire STAB and Solar Beam nailing Water-types not named Toxapex and Azumarill running Sap Sipper. Focus Blast lets it hit Tyranitar on the switch, which would otherwise prevent turn-one Solar Beam and weaken its Fire STAB, and lets it hit Heatran, Hydreigon, and Houndoom hard. The major downsides are the crippling 4x Stealth Rock weakness coupled with a below-average Speed stat - both of which hinder his wall-breaking potential as well as fail to break faster threats. 4MSS also prevents him from running any Speed-boosting move such as Dragon Dance or Flame Charge - both of which are better suited for his X Mega.
撒菱 (まきびし Makibishi, "Devil's Thorn")
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers | Iron Barbs
Sassy | 244 HP / 48 Def / 8 SpA / 208 SpD
• Stealth Rock
• Leech Seed
• Gyro Ball
• Hidden Power [Fire]
* changes courtesy of Chaos Emperor Dragon
Ferrothorn is an amazing tank. Its notable bulk and utility pool allow it to perform reasonably well on Sand teams and most other teams in general while being a nuisance to Rain teams - something Sand teams appreciate. The set above is one of the various iterations; it's remained constant throughout the generations, even now. As no other member of the team sets Rocks, Ferrothorn is assigned this duty. Leech Seed lets it sap additional health along with Leftovers recovery, as well as potentially provide a teammate with a bit of recovery. Gyro Ball lets it nail faster targets that switch or stay in on Ferrothorn; because of its fairly low Speed, it's almost always hitting hard. Hidden Power Fire is chosen in the last slot as it prevents Ferrothorn from being complete deadweight against Kartana as this team is very weak to it. It's chosen over Power Whip as Mega Charizard Y applies enough pressure to Rain teams that Ferrothorn can do as it pleases. It also eases the match-up against both Scizor forms lacking Superpower, though the low output makes it unreliable as a consistent option, and Mega Charizard Y is better suited to switch into Scizor anyway. The given EVs let it hit a jump point in Sp Def, which allow it to act as a semi-reliable Ash Greninja check as well as wall HP Ice variants of Tapu Koko, while always scoring the OHKO on Kartana with Hidden Power Fire.
Aphrodite
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers | Misty Surge
Calm | 248 HP / 192 Def / 68 SpD
• Taunt
• Nature's Madness
• Moonblast
• Whirlpool
* change courtesy of Chaos Emperor Dragon
This lovely tapu is the icing on the cake for this team, providing good role compression as a stall-breaker and an ability which grants the team a useful terrain. The combination of Taunt and Nature's Madness lets it wear down walls that would otherwise give this team trouble, which - when combined with Whirlpool - can trap and potentially eliminate such troublesome walls as Toxapex and Celesteela, as well as potentially winning the trap matchup against Heatran. Whirlpool also eases prediction when making decisions as the target becomes unable to switch if trapped unless it's a Ghost-type, uses Substitute, or is toting a Shed Shell. With Moonblast, she can immediately threaten Sableye and most Dragons in OU as well as potentially cripple special attackers thanks to the 30% chance of dropping Sp Atk on contact. Misty Surge is an invaluable ability as it allows herself and her grounded and Roosting teammates to avoid crippling status, which helps Ferrothorn in the long run and creates good synergy between the two. The given spread is the alternative to the standard spread, providing more bulk at the cost of out-speeding certain threats. Notably, it allows her to survive a +2 Earthquake from Garchomp and anything weaker from full.
Denoument
This team has required a great deal of attention to detail, and as such has had trouble climbing the ladder any further than the mid-1500s as of late. However, I am pretty confident that this team can be perfected to the point at which each member can adequately perform their roles. The utility offered by the Weather Breaker Trio has amazed me to the point of showing reluctance to shy away from it; however, I recognize that better special wall-breakers than Mega Charizard Y exist, and I am more than willing to accept feedback and suggestions on any potential changes that may fall upon this team. I am a very staunch user of Tyranitar and Excadrill and hope to improve my battling skill to the point of using them as effectively as I can in this meta.
Thank you for your time and patience for reading through this - my second RMT - and I hope to make more like this in the future. Peace be with you all and have a pleasant day.
Additional Information
Faster Pokémon
These Pokémon and more can, with the right options, out-speed and take advantage of the team by threatening with KOs, setting up, or dealing heavy damage to either the receiving target or the switch-in.
Speed Ties
All of these Pokémon can potentially win a speed tie against Mega Charizard Y, and either use them as setup fodder or dent, cripple, or outright KO him.
Setup Sweepers
This team has no method of stopping a sweep from any of these Pokémon as has been noted thus far. Some of these naturally outspeed every member of the team, and - as such - can potentially set up and sweep them unhindered.
These Pokémon and more can, with the right options, out-speed and take advantage of the team by threatening with KOs, setting up, or dealing heavy damage to either the receiving target or the switch-in.
Speed Ties
All of these Pokémon can potentially win a speed tie against Mega Charizard Y, and either use them as setup fodder or dent, cripple, or outright KO him.
Setup Sweepers
This team has no method of stopping a sweep from any of these Pokémon as has been noted thus far. Some of these naturally outspeed every member of the team, and - as such - can potentially set up and sweep them unhindered.
PS! Name: Luna Fantasia
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Before Z-Move Excadrill
After Z-Move Excadrill
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Before Z-Move Excadrill
vs Biggerceps : Victory 5 - 1
vs Vavivoff : Victory 2 - 0
vs Phresh Prince : Victory 4 - 2
vs Petochard : Victory 2 - 0
vs YBadDream : Victory 3 - 0
After Z-Move Excadrill
vs GoD o PoKeMoN : Victory 6 - 4
+3 Corkscrew Crash almost OHKOs Skarmory after Stealth Rock, causing the forfeit.
vs saumarmor : Vcitory 3 - 1
Long game... Many predictions had to go into taking this team out. MegaZard Y was the MVP here.
vs IKYWT : Victory 5 - 1
Peaked at 1604 after this game. Latios is inaugurated into the team, replacing Zapdos. 6 - 0 would've been possible had I not switched Latios in against Keldeo when the opponent's Tyranitar was still alive.
vs KirinRhap : Victory 2 - 1
Whirlpool Fini takes the endgame by trapping Toxapex and forcing the switch, resulting in a KO and 2v1 situation in her team's favor.
vs Gabriel2910 : Victory 3 - 0
MegaZard Y wins a handful of speed ties. Ferrothorn tanks +2 Knock Off from Bisharp and 2HKOs with Hidden Power [Fire] in the Sun after Leech Seed damage. Scarf Latios takes the game against Kartana with OHKO Draco Meteor.
Focus Blast to Hidden Power [Electric]
With Latios' recent inauguration to the team, the possibility of Mega Charizard Y being a check to Tyranitar became somewhat shaky. Latios generally lures in such Dark-types as Tyranitar, Alolan Muk, Bisharp, and Weavile - all of whom can take advantage of Latios by either Pursuit-trapping him or set up such that, in the case of the latter two, they out-prioritize and/or outspeed the entire team and secure a sweep. Thus, Focus Blast may be redundant in handling them due to its average Speed. Hidden Power [Electric] as an option was first considered when Ferrothorn had foregone Power Whip for Hidden Power [Fire] as Mega Charizard Y pressures Rain teams to begin with. Pelipper is OHKOed, giving complete weather control to its side. This change is currently up for consideration.
Excadrill (M) @ Steelium Z
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
- Rapid Spin
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
Latios @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
Charizard-Mega-Y (M) @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Drought
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Solar Beam
- Focus Blast
- Roost
Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 244 HP / 48 Def / 8 SpA / 208 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Gyro Ball
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 192 Def / 68 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Nature's Madness
- Moonblast
- Whirlpool
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
- Rapid Spin
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
Latios @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
Charizard-Mega-Y (M) @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Drought
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Solar Beam
- Focus Blast
- Roost
Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 244 HP / 48 Def / 8 SpA / 208 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Gyro Ball
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 192 Def / 68 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Nature's Madness
- Moonblast
- Whirlpool
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