Yea, I'm pretty sure people hate this new format for Smogon, it's ridiculously horrendous. Well, this is my first RMT, and retirement team, since this is the last time I'll be able to use the Sheer Force Landorus-T + Choice Band Tyranitar + Choice Scarf Keldeo core, so I decided to share it since it's the common archetype of Sand Offense today. Compass, a Sand offense team, was built around a two deadly threats that overpowered our metagame, Landorus-I and Keldeo. The latter is being suspected after Landorus-I just to tell you. Considering I rarely ladder, I got a peak of #9 and is a huge accomplishment considering I rarely ladder and won all mini-tournaments using this team. This team or similiar variants have been popping around the ladder lately, so I just wanted to share this before someon posts this before me. The titles are from Trinitrotoleunes RMT, Girl in the Fire, and the format is similar to that of Harsha's RMT, idk how to type it, lol, so kudos to them!
As stated before, I wanted to build a team round KeldTarLando core which is dominate in this metagame. the The first to were really powerful wall breakers that could secure a Keldeo sweep or a Landorus-I sweep itself. Afterwards, I changed Rock Polish to U-turn on Landorus-i to dispose of Celebi considering by Tyranitar is Banded, So Celebi will Baton Pass out first. Afterwards, the the team was great, but I needed something to take care of those ridiculous physical threats like Choice Band Haxorus, so I added Physically Defensive Jirachi, which is rare in this metagame, but can pass Wishes to its recipients making it harder for the opponent. I needed Stealth Rock so enter Garchomp, but it sucked, so I went for Sash Lead Terrakion, to start the early-game advantage. The last spot went Celebi who could pass Nasty Plots to Keldeo and Landorus, while being a nuisance and solid check to rain teams. Afterwards, I tweaked around with some of the sets, for maximum coverage to the metagame. Later, due to weaknesses to E-Belt Keldeo and Scizor, I added Scizor and Rotom-W, the kings of VolTTurn. Now presenting Compass!
Scizor @ Leftovers | Technician | Adamant
248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD | Max IVs
Swords Dance | Roost | Bullet Punch | U-turn
Scizor, ridiculously common, and powerful. It's not hard to see why. Technician, STAB prioirity, Pursuit, U-turn, Roost, Swords Dance, Acrobatic, and more! Well, I went with the Choice Band set, but Swords Dance was generally superior. With the help of HSA and this #niggasolid suggestion, this team has brought a new life. It provides me a steel-type like the previous Jirachi, priority, synergy, U-turn to crush Celebi, so Landorus-I can run Stealth Rock, and a powerful physical attacker which this team despertely needs. I have to say, Scizor has been great.
Usually I'd try out max speed, but since it's the only steel-type, I need more bulk to stay over the curve. U-turn is obviously for early-game since I can bluff the Band (leftovers doesn't work if you switch right away), and hits hard with the Swords Danace when I come across something that walls me like Jellicent.
Swords Dance is an awesome move, since it secures late-game sweeps and lets it muscle past Scizor's counters like Landorus-T. Finally, Roost is there for reliable recovery and can allow me to sweep many times or cause huge damage. Most Ghost-types like to stay in knowing they are Pursuit trapped, so this lets me get the Swords Dance boost in this situation. Scizor is great, and a super solid competitor which keeps the momentum going(s).
Rotom-W @ Chesto Berry | Levitate | Calm
248 HP / 28 SpA / 232 SpD | 0 Atk / 30 Spe
Volt Switch | Rest | Will-O-Wisp | Hydro Pump
Once Terrakion, now Rotom-W. Jirachi gave me this idea to help with my Expert Belt Keldeo and Landorus-I weaknesses which was a great improvement to this team. This is the most standard 'mon in the rain infested metagame. and makes a VoltTurn core with Scizor which is nice. Chesto Berry in combination with Rest gives me a one time destruction recovery and Rotom-W can absorb status as well when Celebi is gone (which rarely happens), bar Sleep. It also helps me with Starmie which I can't OHKO with Hidden Power Electric from Keldeo.
0 Atk with Calm Nature helps reduces confusion and foul play damage, which is arguably the best at doing beccause it's my only check to to Tornadus-I. While 30 Spe EVs is strange, it lets me get the Volt Switch advantage against opposing Rotom-W at no extra cost.
Now, the moves. Volt Switch allows me to scout and kills Keldeo trying to destroy me and Starmie as well. Hydro Pump is to defeat Gliscor (why I use 28 SpA EVs), and Landorus-T too. In general, it's used for SPAM against rain teams and defeating pokemon that are immune to Volt Switch like Jolteon, for instance. I've ran Thunder Wave over Will-O-Wisp, but I'd rather cripple every physical attcker than just paralysis stuff. plus, Thunder Wave doesnt hit Garchomp, which is important because Keldeo's Icy Wind never OHKOes it. Rotom-W, has been a great improvement to this team, and really, thanks for this suggestion.
Landorus @ Life Orb | Sheer Force | Timid
252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe | Max IVs
Earth Power | Focus Blast | Hidden Power [Ice] | Stealth Rock
This thing is broken now due to it being able to able to defeat team after Rock Polish set-up or not... U-turn is a great option since it removes Celebi which is important for the TarLandoKeld core. Earth Power is for obvious and pwowerful STAB and Focus Blast and Hidden Power are for coverage. Landorus is the strongest member of the team and is a great wallbreaker and since I won't be able to use it soon and neither will you, use it as it lasts.
I despise of Timid Landorus-I. First of all, Landorus has enough speed to outpace neutral 100s which is great and can use the extra power to 2HKO certain threats like Blissey with Focus Blast which is a great bragging right for any special sweeper bar Latios. U-turn can scout and cause pretty nice damage that annoy Landorus like Cresselia. After that I can scout to the appropriate check or counter. Howver, due to later tests Timid seemed betters ince Celebi almost always Baton Pass's boosts to Landorus-I making Timid the superior choice. With the addition of Scizor and Rotom-W providing almost infinite coverage to the metagame, the lack of a Stealth Rock user was noticeable, so I put it on Landorus-I. stealth Rock and Landorus-i is a cool move since it never drags in Magic Bounce users and Rapid Spin users being a surprise to the opponents team, like Sun Offense, since most carry Xatu and no spinner. Scizor's access to U-turn also made it unneeded.
Life Orb with Sheer Force is boss, as you would've not noticed and 0 Atk IVs are not use to reduce Foul Play and Confusion damage since I'm running U-turn. Landorus is the frailest member of the team, but can take some hits like Garchomp's Outrage for example. since Hidden Power [Ice] and U-turn gain Life Orb damage, I like to use them sparingly. Landorus is generally the mid- to late-game 'mon since it can sweep best then. Landorus-I is part of my core and is awesome, and yea. No toss ups.
Celebi @ Leftovers | Natural Cure | Calm
248 HP / 196 SpD / 64 Spe | 0 Atk
Nasty Plot | Giga Drain | Baton Pass | Hidden Power [Fire]
Imagine, a +2 Landorus or Keldeo sweeping entire teams. Wow, that's impressive. Now what about a +4 or +6? Well, that's an absolute nightmare for the opponent. Baton Pass is often considered a newbie move, but may I ask you, why does it exist? Yea, mind shooken, that's what I thought.
Celebi provides anexcellent rain check and can is a great wall breaker. Due to Celebi excellent typing and synergy with the rest of the team, passing a +4 or +6 boost is pretty easy or killing stuff with ridiculously power Giga Drains is cool too. I've run Psychic to deal with Breloom, the only check to the team, but Breloom can't take a +2 Giga Drain too well. It's also my Jellicent check which walls Keldeo hard. Recover is used for max amounts of longetivity and passing abilities. Natural Cure is a godly ability for Celebi since it can keep on boosting and use Baton Pass aginst walls since all they can do is status, and find there work go to waste. Recover came to waste afterwards noticing the pretty big Sakrmory and Scizor weakness and with my very own Scizor in bait, Hidden Power [Fire] is was superior considering Giga Drain gave me healing and was powerful at +2 giving me "reliable" recovery especially with Leftovers.
0 Atk is used to minimize confusion and Foul play damage and is cool since Tornadus is much more prevalent. Since Celebi can't do much to Heatran and Skarmory I will Baton Pass immediately to a cool recipient, but in Skarmory's case I wont' boost unless it lacks Whirlwind. Baton Pass is also nice for scouting and avoiding Pursuit and I will only switch if I face a Scarf Tyranitar, since I know it'll go for the Crunch. 64 Spe is used for outpacing all Scizor bar Choice Scarf. I've tried Calm Mind, but it lacks the immediate death boost that Nasty Plot has. Celebi is the most important memeber of the team since it secures sweeps and provides a solid check to rain teams.
Tyranitar @ Choice Band | Sand Stream | Adamant
212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe | Max IVs
Stone Edge | Crunch | Pursuit | Superpower
Now now, using Tyranitar on team where no Pokemon benefit from it seem weird, but it provides anti-weather support and destroys Keldeo's and Landorus-I's counters. Since Hippowdon seems better due to it not having to risk Dugtrio shenanigans, Tyranitar never comes in until I can spoil my opponent's plan. Why not use Choice Scarf, it much more common and "obviously" better? Well, Tyranitar's Pursuit jacks all-over Ninetales and Politoed since they'll often switch and eat a OHKO with prior damage, spoiling there weather plans. Choice Band Tyranitar is also a much better wall-breaker than the Choice Scarf set and can actually defeat Jellicent.
Tyranitar has used Fire Punch to kill ferrothorn without fears, but defeating Heatran is essential for this team. Ice Punch and Qua Tail have been used for Dragon-type, Gliscor, and Hippowdon, but i missed out on Superpowers better coverage and power. Finally, Foul Play has been interesting when I used the Choice Scarf set and surprised many people, but it was inferior to Crunch since defating Jellicent is one of the main draws of the Choice Band set.
Looking at the EV spread, 44 Spe is outpace utility counter Jellicent (male) and outpace opposing Support Tyranitars which is cool. Superpower hits Ferrothorn and pokemon that mainly resist its STAB like Conkeldurr, but forces me to switch after. Adamant Nature is the only nature I consider using since its useful for OHKOing most weather starters with Pursuit. Tyranitar is ridiculously important for this teams success and is nice for stacking up residual damage and countering weather when time gets rough.
Keldeo-R @ Choice Scarf | Justified | Timid
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe | 0 Atk
Surf | Secret Sword | Icy Wind | Hidden Power [Electric]
The second most broken pokemon after Landorus-I and the MVP of the team. Where the Compass points is where the move goes is what you can say for Keldeo. It fill all the gaps this team faces like set-up sweepers, revenge killer, etc.
With Tyranitar remove its checks like Tentacruel for example, Keldeo can wreck havoc. It usually comes in a, the opponent's team is weakened or b, baton pass doom.
I use Icy Wind and Hidden Power [Electric] since Cloyster and Gyarados are annoying to face and Icy Wind generally has more utility and gains the same OHKOes has Hidden Power, skip Garchomp, and can slow down pokemon that commonly switch into Keldeo like Starmie. From there I switch to Tyranitar or Celebi to use it for killing bait or set-up bait. Keldeo is very important to this team and isn't build around pokemon like some stupid Carracosta sweep and is obviously close to broken for these reasons.
When the going gets tough, get the navigation, Baton Pass the boost, aim for north, Compass.
Thanks guys for reading this RMT. It's been great to see Smogon back up and please put it back to the original format, and I'd like to thank some people on Smogon. The first is Trinitrotoleune who chills in False Sense's group and helps us learn about the metagame and is a major inspiration building this team. PC-Reviver and Rohail17 were also cool people who helped me with this team. PC-Reviver is on PS just to say and Rohail17 helped me a little in the lobby in PS to fix issues like Cloyster poopfaces and also Gary2346 who is awesome and yea, Halcyon of Light. This team was a huge success and finally, thanks every one, and its nice to post this standard archetype. Jirachi and HSA (RIP joshe) are noticed for there great suggestions. If you liked it, leave a like (bye, bye Luvdisks...)! Rate, Hate, Steal, whatever, but thanks guys, really.
