Alakazam @ Focus Sash/Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hidden Power Ice/Hidden Power Fire
- Focus Blast
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
Alakazam works really well in sand. Magic Guard allows it not to take Sand damage, entry hazards and Status. It makes a deadly revenge killer and late game cleaner with the Sash you are guaranteed live at least one hit and increases your chances to pull of a sweep. Life orb could also be use for extra power though generally Focus Sash is preferred. Psyshock is a godsend to hit the pink blobs for good damage. Hidden Power Ice is slashed with Hidden Power Fire to deal with either Dragons or Scizor.
Author: BlackRussian
Keldeo @ Choice Scarf/Specs
Trait: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Surf / Icy Wind
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power Ice / Ghost
Keldeo can be used as an offensive check to rain teams, being able to send out insanely powerful rain-boosted Hydro Pumps. Tyranitar also makes the perfect partner to Keldeo, with only Amoongus being able to shake off Tyranitar's Pursuit (though I believe it is 2HKO'd by Banded-Stone Edge). Once the counters are out of the way, Specs Keldeo can demolish everything in its path especially if you are fighting a rain team. Scarf Keldeo makes one of the best revenge killers, and with the right prediction, you can KO almost everything in the tier.
Author: Halcyon of Light
Latias @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Hidden Power Fire / Psyshock
- Roost / Recover
Latias is another great team member for Sand Offense, as it handles Rain and sun teams nicely. Though this particular set might miss the "immunity" to sand damage that Leftovers provides, the extra power that Life Orb gives is fantastic, and Roost allows you more freedom with your attacks. Latias is a great check to opposing Keldeo, Venusaur, and Breloom, which can usually give sand teams trouble and all of which can be OHKO'd by Psyshock. Surf prevents it from being completely walled by Heatran, and also allows you to do SOME damage to Tyranitar if you are in a situation where it traps you.
Author: Halcyon of Light
Keldeo @ Expert Belt / Choice Specs / Mystic Water
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Icy Wind
Expert Belt Keldeo is very useful on sandstorm teams, because it works as a lure for many things that could give them problems, such as Chlorophyll sweepers like Venusaur, as well as sweepers like Sheer Force Landorus, and opposing Terrakion. However, if you feel that you need more power on neutral hits, feel free to use Choice Specs or Mystic Water. The difference from Mystic Water to Choice Specs is that it doesn't lock Keldeo on one attack, but offers less power, and only powers up Hydro Pump. That said, Choice Specs Keldeo is very useful alongside Choice Band Tyranitar because the latter defeats most counters to the former, and then Keldeo can spam powerful Hydro Pumps that even though are not rain-boosted, are still very powerful (for example, Keldeo can OHKO Scizor with Hydro Pump if boosted by Specs - it is very hard to OHKO Scizor with something other than a Fire-type attack). However, Expert Belt is very useful to fool your opponent. Expert Belt tends to be more useful against offensive teams, while Specs is better against more defensive ones. Choose which you think that it is the best. Expert Belt is now my favorite because it does not get locked on an attack. Also, Keldeo can still deal with many threats that it could OHKO with Hydro Pump, such as the aforementioned Scizor; even with Expert Belt, Scizor will be 2HKOed with a combination of Hydro Pump followed by Secret.
Author: Dark Fallen Angel
Celebi @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 180 SAtk / 84 SDef / 244 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Nasty Plot
- Giga Drain
- Psychic / Hidden Power [Ice]
- Hidden Power [Fire] / Earth Power
Nasty Plot Celebi is a good special attacker for sandstorm teams because it defeats rain teams, which are a problem for sandstorm because of their natural advantage against sand. This Celebi can still check Sheer Force Landorus and Keldeo effectively, although be wary - the lack of defensive investiment means that Celebi should take care to not take too many repeated hits from the aforementioned threats. Normally, I would not use on a sandstorm team a sweeper that took passive damage from sandstorm, especially if it had to use Life Orb as an item, because it would certainly die too quickly to passive damage from sand and recoil from Life Orb. Giga Drain, however, changes the situation. Celebi can use Giga Drain to recover HP and defeat bulky Water-types at same time. Then, you should use what you will use to cover Dragon-types; Psychic or Hidden Power Ice. Psychic is a stronger STAB than Giga Drain, and is useful on situations where Giga Drain is not sufficiently powerful, and it can also defeat Fighting-types. HP Ice, however, is a better way to defeat Dragon-types, because it does not leave Celebi walled by Hydreigon and Lati@s, and can defeat Dragonite and Salamence without a boost, as well as quickly dispose of Sheer Force Landorus. Then, decide what you will use to defeat Steel-types; Hidden Power Fire, or Earth Power. HP Fire disposes of all Steel-types, except Heatran, and Jirachi if it's raining. If the latter two threats prove to be troublesome, then you should use Earth Power. Earth Power cover Heatran and rain Jirachi, and can still cover many Steel-types; however, it fails to cover Steel-types not weak to Ground, such as specially defensive Scizor, Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Bronzong.
Author: Dark Fallen Angel
Heatran (M) @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Hidden Power [Grass]
- Taunt / Flame Charge / Stealth Rock
Heatran is a better way to deal with Steel-types than using Ground- or Fighting-type sweepers. Also, many sun threats are surprisingly dangerous to sandstorm teams, especially if they manage to boost and get their speed or have their STAB doubled. Also, Heatran deals with many Dragon-types that Tyranitar cannot, namely Dragonite. It can also support the team with Stealth Rock if necessary, and is one of the best users.
Author: Dark Fallen Angel
Landorus (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Explosion
A good revenge killer for sandstorm teams, it is peharps the best one. Because Landorus is at one point above many threats that fall short of its Speed tier, it is an excellent revenge killer, and often can sweep late-game with a boosted Earthquake. Speaking of which, Earthquake is its main move, while Stone Edge offer coverage against most things immune to Earthquake. It is also a good move to use if Volcarona is at good health, instantly KOing it - though after Stealth Rock damage, Earthquake can already OHKO Volcarona. U-Turn also separates him from other revenge killers like Keldeo and Garchomp, as if your opponent has a counter to your Pokémon, you can simply switch out and scout it. Hidden Power Ice is a more accurate move to use against Dragon-types, and also revenge kills opposing Landorus, as well as Gliscor; but it can be replaced by Explosion, which despite the nerf, is still stronger than even Sand Force-boosted Earthquake, and can be used as a last-resort move.
Author: Dark Fallen Angel
Landorus (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sand Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance / Rock Polish
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Gravity / Rock Polish / Hidden Power [Ice]
Swords Dance is an underrated set for Landorus. It is extremely powerful, and with Gravity, Landorus can remove the opponent's immunities to Earthquake, which means that you can simply nuke the opposing team; This is because although there are many things immune to Earthquake, there aren't actually much Pokémon that resist Earthquake (there are only 2 OU pokémon that resist Ground! And only one of them, Celebi, can actually take repeated Earthquakes, as the other, Breloom, is too frail to do this). It can also use Rock Polish instead of Swords Dance if you want Landorus to simply be a sweeper, and not a wallbreaker. Landorus can also opt to use both Swords Dance and Rock Polish to form a Double Dance set - although options like Terrakion would seem better for this job, Landorus offer better defensive synergy to the team than Terrakion, and is able to fool opponents on thinking that you are using a special Sheer Force set - which can often catch them off-guard. However, this Landorus should be played with care, as it often needs some extra turns to setup, and this is not easy on such metagame. However, the payoff that this set offers, compared to other Landorus' sets, is higher.
Author: Dark Fallen Angel
Stoutland @ Choice Band / Life Orb
Sand Rush
4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly nature
~ Return
~ Superpower
~ Crunch
~ Wild Charge / Ice Fang / Fire Fang
Stoutland reaches a mind boggling combination of 518 speed and 492 attack under sand with a choice band equipped. Return is a very powerful STAB move with good neutral coverage that will decimate anything that isn't especially bulky or resistant to the move. Superpower takes care of Steel- and Rock-types looking to sponge Return, while Crunch catches incoming Ghost-type switch ins. The last slot lets you better deal with certain threats. Wild Charge takes care of bulky Water-types - but watch out for the recoil! Ice Fang ensures a 2HKO on Gliscor or Landorus-T, 'mons that avoid a 2HKO from Return. Fire Fang can be used against Scizor and Foretress if they are especially problematic for your team, but this is not recommended. Stoutland can use LO instead of CB. This will facilitate its late-game sweep, allowing it to switch moves, but it may miss on some crucial OHKO/2HKOes. Adamant is the preferred nature due to the power boost, but Jolly can be used to lure in unsuspecting Terrakion and Keldeo, who otherwise outspeed Stoutland by 1 point.
Author: ClubbingSealCub
Sandslash (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
Sandslash is really fun to use and it's the Pokemon I used in every single match of the second Minitour which I won. It's really underrated as a sweeper and a spinner due to it's frailness. It has a good base 100 Attack which its 299 (really, don't run adamant, you can't outspeed stuff like Scarfrachi then.) 299 atk backed with Life Orb is 389 and it hits hard with EdgeQuake coverage as well as getting of a spin which sand needs to do so it can handle rain.
Don't try to run X-scissor over Rapid Spin. Sandslash usually does not end up 6-0ing teams, usually it takes out 2-3 guys before dying which is its job as well as to spin. Rapid spin is really good vs HO as Gengar gets absolutely destroyed by an LO Stone edge after rocks and you outspeed the things on HO.
Author: ThunderBlunder
Sandslash @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 atk / 8 def / 248 spd
Jolly nature
- Earthquake
- Stone edge
- Rapid spin
- X-scissor / Stealth Rock
life orb or leftovers depends on whether you want power or survivability, i recommend life orb for sure because it's not like sandslash is tanking hits anyways...the evs let you outspeed scarf landorus, thundurus-t, and garchomp. last slot is optional, x-scissor is cool to maybe ohko latios after rocks and prevent celebi from doing anything, but stealth rock is also cool if your team needs that (if you're running choice ttar for example) and nothing else wants to waste a slot on it. other last move options include toxic, which is really funny when you use it early and politoed or hippowdon or w/e gets put on a timer.
Author: Lavos Spawn
Terrakion @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- X-Scissor
- Rock Slide
Terrakion works in many different ways. It obviously revenges a ton of Pokemon, most of them even after a speed boost, and works as a great lategame cleaner while punching holes in offensivly minded teams due to it nearly unresisted STAB combo. Sand offense really benefits from Terrakion because of its ability to revenge even Chlorophyle-sweepers (not all, but a whole lot) and most of those Dragon / Quiver Dancers around which are a pain for any offensive team to face.
It doesn't do that much against stallish teams, but any offensive players knows how hard it is to deal with a Scarf Terrakion.
Author: Lohgock
Terrakion @ Focus Sash
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Close Combat
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
As someone said, terrakion works in diferent ways, but this use as a lead helps a lot giving a Stealth Rock + Taunt support, because sometimes the SandsOff teams have some issues to deal with the Hazards, this Terrakion set makes him an excellent user of Stealth Rock due to the many switches it forces with its STABs moves, with his ev's Terrakion can outspead defensive threats as Deo-D, and also can OHKO Off threats as Standart Breloom.
Author: ~GreenCore
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 32 SAtk / 228 SDef
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Pain Split
- Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp
Like many common members of sand teams, Rotom-W doesn't directly benefit from the sand. However, it's a great answer to the majority of Pokemon found on rain, it can also provide momentum with Volt Switch, spread paralysis to aid the slower members of sand offense, eg. Scizor, and it's overall a great partner for many common Pokemon found in sand offense, eg. Lati@s. The moveset is so self explanatory, there's no need to explain it, and the EVs are there to live a Specs Draco Meteor from Hydreigon, and to OHKO Gliscor with Hydro Pump.
Author: The Great Mighty Doom
