Sands of Time(BW Sandstorm Team)

Faov · Jul 11th, 2012, 9:44:38 AM

Hey there, this is my first team and I've spent over 2 weeks researching and testing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I just started competitive Pokemon. I've done extremely well testing the team albeit I faced some rather odd team(Champion Red Team). I would like to thank every one who is willing to help in advance, so thank you very much.

Tyranitar@ Leftovers
Sandstream
Sassy(+Spd, -Spe)
252 HP / 64 SpA / 192 SpD
[Crunch]
[Fire Blast]
[Ice Beam]
[Stealth Rock]

Standard staple on every sandstorm team. Crunch for great STAB coverage with Fire Blast and Ice Beam. Stealth Rock is also very standard and is the only entry hazard I have on the team. All in all the most common and drab Tyranitar build.

Alakazam@ Life Orb
Magic Guard
Timid(+Spe, -Atk)
252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def
[Psychic]
[Shadow Ball]
[Focus Blast]
[Substitute]

One of my favorite Pokemon with the ability Magic Guard. I find that he is an excellent special sweeper and is able to check the likes of Tentacruel because he can come in and take no damage on entry hazards due to Magic Guard. Life Orb with Magic Guard is also fantastic and he can force switches very often which leads to an easy Substitute set-up.

Gliscor@ Toxic Orb
Poison Heal
Impish(+Def, -SpA)
252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe
[Earthquake]
[Toxic]
[Substitute]
[Protect]

Gliscor has proven extremely useful because he can come in on threats to the team such as Terrakion. Earthquake gives him good coverage as he can stall out other walls with toxic and protectsub. Protect enables to check if the enemy has any Hidden Power Ice or Ice Beam hiding up their sleeve. Overall Gliscor serves to be a good Defensive Wall.

Rotom-W@ Leftovers
Levitate
Bold(+Def, -Atk)
248 HP / 160 Def / 100 Spe
[Volt Switch]
[Hydro Pump]
[Will O Wisp]
[Pain Split]

I found this build just lurking around and I have to see it serves very well. This makes Rotom bulky and that is exactly what I use him for. Sandstorm teams often have trouble with Water types so I'm able to switch in to a 4x resist as well as into Ground attacks because of Levitate. Will O Wisp lets me hurt Physical Attackers while Pain Split lets me really hurt a predicted Chansey or Blissey switch.

Currently testing Scarf variant(Thank you Trinitrotoluene)
@ Choice Scarf
Levitate
Timid(+Spe, -Atk)
252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
[Volt Switch]
[Hydro Pump]
[Hidden Power(Ice)]
[Trick]

Terrakion@ Rock Gem
Justified
Jolly(+Spe, -SpA)
252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Def
[Close Combat]
[Stone Edge]
[Swords Dance]
[Substitute]

Now this guy is just monstrous. I have to say it, I love this build and I love this Pokemon. Close Combat and Stone Edge put major dents in everything, even things that resist them. I switched to a Swords Dance Sub build because I feel I can set up on potential non-threats, something that this team lacks is the ability to set up in my opinion.

Scizor@ Choice Band
Technician
Adamant(+Atk, -SpA)
252 Atk / 248 HP / 8 SPD
[U-Turn]
[Bullet Punch]
[Superpower]
[Quick Attack]

I really like Scizor in some situations whereas I don't know for sure if I want him or Heatran. Scizor gives me the ability to deal with the Lati twins with ease as well as gives me amazing control with U-Turn and Rotom's Volt Switch. Basically the only situation I would replace Scizor for Heatran is when I'm up against Jirachi which has been often lately.

That's my team. Thanks for rating in advance and I hope you all have a great day! :)

Thanks to
ExpertPhysics - Scizor fix and Terrakion build
Steel.Storm - Good input and Rotom build
Trinitrotoluene - Pointing out threats and variant changes to deal with the threats

Sayonara · Jul 13th, 2012, 5:11:26 PM

Hi!

Solid team, Faov! First off, I would change Scizor's EV spread from 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD to 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe. 252 HP EVs would make Scizor's HP divisible by 8, so 248 HP EVs are used to maximize Scizor's bulk while giving it one additional opportunity to switch into Stealth Rock. Another change I would recommend would be to change Terrakion's set to a Substitute + Swords Dance set. You're already utilizing a Choice Band user in Scizor, so I don't think another one would be necessary. Substitute + Swords Dance Terrakion is a beast in Sand. It can easily come in on opponents that wouldn't want to stay in (i.e. Ferrothorn and Heatran), then set up a Substitute. Thanks to Sand boosting by 50% its special defense, the Substitute isn't even broken by Jellicent's Scald! After setting up a Substitute, you can either go for a kill, or set up Swords Dance behind a Sub. At +2, Terrakion becomes a fearsome beast. Thanks to its item, Rock Gem, it has chances of landing a OHKO Gliscor! The Rock Gem boost pretty much guarantees a kill in any match. Close Combat is its main STAB, denting holes in anything that doesn't resist it, while Stone Edge is another STAB that hits really hard. The Jolly Nature allows Terrakion to outrun a large portion of the metagame, ensuring a speedtie with Virizion and Infernape. The set can be found below, in the clickable spoiler. Finally, you might want to consider Quick Attack over Pursuit on Scizor, as it enables you to take out weakened Volcarona and Rotom-W, who would otherwise outspeed and KO you. While Pursuit has its utilities, it usually ends up putting you in a situation in which an opponent resisting the move can come in and start setting up while you switch. I don't have much else to add; cool team, and good luck!

Substitute + Swords Dance Terrakion

Steel.Storm · Jul 13th, 2012, 6:19:07 PM

I see you like the Rotom I've been using ;D. Gotta say though, definitely go with Pain Split over the Protect. Especially with him being Defensive you for sure want him to live and with Rotom's low Base HP isn't not hard to steal tons of HP on a predicted switch (Blissey, Ferro, etc) and get him back to near Full HP.

Faov · Jul 14th, 2012, 1:28:50 AM

Thank you both for the input, and I'm going to take both pieces of advice into account. You two added to my thoughts as well, for example, the Terrakion build. I wanted to be able to set up on non threats and I felt that I rarely used Quick Attack or X-Scissor anyways with the Choice Band set.

As for the Rotom-W, I do believe it is your build. I used to run the standard special sweeper, however I changed it when I saw yours to experiment. I instantly liked it because it could tank hits especially vs rain teams that otherwise would give me trouble. I think I will change Protect because I find myself rarely using it to scout out any Grass moves.

The Scizor change from the HP i really did overlook, so thank you very much for pointing that out. I don't know if I should change pursuit though solely because Scizor is my answer to the Lati twins. Any more input on this choice would be nice.

Thanks again for the critique :)

Trinitrotoluene · Jul 14th, 2012, 4:07:32 PM

Hey. Well, just by taking a glance at your team, I can see that Tornadus-T can be a problem for you to deal with. It outspeeds every member of your team, threatens with a powerful Hurricane (or in the case of Tyranitar, Superpower / Focus Blast), leaving Scizor and Rotom-w as your only semi-reliable solutions, and even then, Scizor only deals 65.22% - 76.59% with a CB-boosted Bullet Punch, meaning that you NEED Stealth Rock to even stand a chance against it. When faced with your Rotom-W, Tornadus-T can simply bounce away from it with U-turn, all while maintaining momentum for its side. It's because of Tornadus-T that I'd recommend making your Rotom-W a Choice Scarf variant. This gives you another solution to Tornadus-T, and a reliable revenge killer for most of the OU metagame. Also, for Terrakion, I'd recommend moving your HP EVs to Defense, so you can create 4 subs instead of 3. For Scizor, I agree with my friend Expert Physics in the decision to replace Pursuit with Quick Attack, especially considering that you're using a specially defensive Tyranitar.

Sets:

4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe ----> 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Pursuit ----> Quick Attack

All in all, nice team, and good luck!

Faov · Jul 15th, 2012, 1:10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Trinitrotoluene

Hey. Well, just by taking a glance at your team, I can see that Tornadus-T can be a problem for you to deal with. It outspeeds every member of your team, threatens with a powerful Hurricane (or in the case of Tyranitar, Superpower / Focus Blast), leaving Scizor and Rotom-w as your only semi-reliable solutions, and even then, Scizor only deals 65.22% - 76.59% with a CB-boosted Bullet Punch, meaning that you NEED Stealth Rock to even stand a chance against it. When faced with your Rotom-W, Tornadus-T can simply bounce away from it with U-turn, all while maintaining momentum for its side. It's because of Tornadus-T that I'd recommend making your Rotom-W a Choice Scarf variant. This gives you another solution to Tornadus-T, and a reliable revenge killer for most of the OU metagame. Also, for Terrakion, I'd recommend moving your HP EVs to Defense, so you can create 4 subs instead of 3. For Scizor, I agree with my friend Expert Physics in the decision to replace Pursuit with Quick Attack, especially considering that you're using a specially defensive Tyranitar.

Sets:

4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe ----> 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Pursuit ----> Quick Attack

All in all, nice team, and good luck!

Thank you for the input, and I will change pursuit to quick attack and change the EV's on Terrakion as well. I'll have to do testing with Rotom with Scarf though I do believe it would be a good idea. It seems I have enough defense with a bulky Scizor, Tyranitar, and Gliscor.

Jul 11th, 2012, 9:44:38 AM	#1
Faov Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 3	Sands of Time(BW Sandstorm Team) Hey there, this is my first team and I've spent over 2 weeks researching and testing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I just started competitive Pokemon. I've done extremely well testing the team albeit I faced some rather odd team(Champion Red Team). I would like to thank every one who is willing to help in advance, so thank you very much. Tyranitar@ Leftovers Sandstream Sassy(+Spd, -Spe) 252 HP / 64 SpA / 192 SpD [Crunch] [Fire Blast] [Ice Beam] [Stealth Rock] Standard staple on every sandstorm team. Crunch for great STAB coverage with Fire Blast and Ice Beam. Stealth Rock is also very standard and is the only entry hazard I have on the team. All in all the most common and drab Tyranitar build. Alakazam@ Life Orb Magic Guard Timid(+Spe, -Atk) 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def [Psychic] [Shadow Ball] [Focus Blast] [Substitute] One of my favorite Pokemon with the ability Magic Guard. I find that he is an excellent special sweeper and is able to check the likes of Tentacruel because he can come in and take no damage on entry hazards due to Magic Guard. Life Orb with Magic Guard is also fantastic and he can force switches very often which leads to an easy Substitute set-up. Gliscor@ Toxic Orb Poison Heal Impish(+Def, -SpA) 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe [Earthquake] [Toxic] [Substitute] [Protect] Gliscor has proven extremely useful because he can come in on threats to the team such as Terrakion. Earthquake gives him good coverage as he can stall out other walls with toxic and protectsub. Protect enables to check if the enemy has any Hidden Power Ice or Ice Beam hiding up their sleeve. Overall Gliscor serves to be a good Defensive Wall. Rotom-W@ Leftovers Levitate Bold(+Def, -Atk) 248 HP / 160 Def / 100 Spe [Volt Switch] [Hydro Pump] [Will O Wisp] [Pain Split] I found this build just lurking around and I have to see it serves very well. This makes Rotom bulky and that is exactly what I use him for. Sandstorm teams often have trouble with Water types so I'm able to switch in to a 4x resist as well as into Ground attacks because of Levitate. Will O Wisp lets me hurt Physical Attackers while Pain Split lets me really hurt a predicted Chansey or Blissey switch. Currently testing Scarf variant(Thank you Trinitrotoluene) @ Choice Scarf Levitate Timid(+Spe, -Atk) 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpD [Volt Switch] [Hydro Pump] [Hidden Power(Ice)] [Trick] Terrakion@ Rock Gem Justified Jolly(+Spe, -SpA) 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Def [Close Combat] [Stone Edge] [Swords Dance] [Substitute] Now this guy is just monstrous. I have to say it, I love this build and I love this Pokemon. Close Combat and Stone Edge put major dents in everything, even things that resist them. I switched to a Swords Dance Sub build because I feel I can set up on potential non-threats, something that this team lacks is the ability to set up in my opinion. Scizor@ Choice Band Technician Adamant(+Atk, -SpA) 252 Atk / 248 HP / 8 SPD [U-Turn] [Bullet Punch] [Superpower] [Quick Attack] I really like Scizor in some situations whereas I don't know for sure if I want him or Heatran. Scizor gives me the ability to deal with the Lati twins with ease as well as gives me amazing control with U-Turn and Rotom's Volt Switch. Basically the only situation I would replace Scizor for Heatran is when I'm up against Jirachi which has been often lately. That's my team. Thanks for rating in advance and I hope you all have a great day! :) Thanks to ExpertPhysics - Scizor fix and Terrakion build Steel.Storm - Good input and Rotom build Trinitrotoluene - Pointing out threats and variant changes to deal with the threats Last edited by Faov; Jul 15th, 2012 at 1:32:25 AM.

Jul 13th, 2012, 5:11:26 PM	#2
Sayonara into the new world Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 717	Hi! Solid team, Faov! First off, I would change Scizor's EV spread from 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD to 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe. 252 HP EVs would make Scizor's HP divisible by 8, so 248 HP EVs are used to maximize Scizor's bulk while giving it one additional opportunity to switch into Stealth Rock. Another change I would recommend would be to change Terrakion's set to a Substitute + Swords Dance set. You're already utilizing a Choice Band user in Scizor, so I don't think another one would be necessary. Substitute + Swords Dance Terrakion is a beast in Sand. It can easily come in on opponents that wouldn't want to stay in (i.e. Ferrothorn and Heatran), then set up a Substitute. Thanks to Sand boosting by 50% its special defense, the Substitute isn't even broken by Jellicent's Scald! After setting up a Substitute, you can either go for a kill, or set up Swords Dance behind a Sub. At +2, Terrakion becomes a fearsome beast. Thanks to its item, Rock Gem, it has chances of landing a OHKO Gliscor! The Rock Gem boost pretty much guarantees a kill in any match. Close Combat is its main STAB, denting holes in anything that doesn't resist it, while Stone Edge is another STAB that hits really hard. The Jolly Nature allows Terrakion to outrun a large portion of the metagame, ensuring a speedtie with Virizion and Infernape. The set can be found below, in the clickable spoiler. Finally, you might want to consider Quick Attack over Pursuit on Scizor, as it enables you to take out weakened Volcarona and Rotom-W, who would otherwise outspeed and KO you. While Pursuit has its utilities, it usually ends up putting you in a situation in which an opponent resisting the move can come in and start setting up while you switch. I don't have much else to add; cool team, and good luck! Substitute + Swords Dance Terrakion Terrakion @ Rock Gem \| Justified Jolly \| 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe ~ Substitute ~ Swords Dance ~ Close Combat ~ Stone Edge

Jul 14th, 2012, 4:07:32 PM	#5
Trinitrotoluene And we will never be alone again / 'cause it doesn't happen everyday / kinda counted on you being a friend / kinda given up on giving away... Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 716 np: Daft Punk - Instant Crush (feat. Julian Casablancas) Mentor	Hey. Well, just by taking a glance at your team, I can see that Tornadus-T can be a problem for you to deal with. It outspeeds every member of your team, threatens with a powerful Hurricane (or in the case of Tyranitar, Superpower / Focus Blast), leaving Scizor and Rotom-w as your only semi-reliable solutions, and even then, Scizor only deals 65.22% - 76.59% with a CB-boosted Bullet Punch, meaning that you NEED Stealth Rock to even stand a chance against it. When faced with your Rotom-W, Tornadus-T can simply bounce away from it with U-turn, all while maintaining momentum for its side. It's because of Tornadus-T that I'd recommend making your Rotom-W a Choice Scarf variant. This gives you another solution to Tornadus-T, and a reliable revenge killer for most of the OU metagame. Also, for Terrakion, I'd recommend moving your HP EVs to Defense, so you can create 4 subs instead of 3. For Scizor, I agree with my friend Expert Physics in the decision to replace Pursuit with Quick Attack, especially considering that you're using a specially defensive Tyranitar. Sets: Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf \| Levitate Timid Nature \| 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe \| 2 Atk / 30 Def Volt Switch \| Hydro Pump \| Hidden Power [Ice] \| Trick Nitpicks: *4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe ----> 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe* *Pursuit ----> Quick Attack* All in all, nice team, and good luck! __________________

Jul 13th, 2012, 6:19:07 PM	#3
Steel.Storm Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 177	I see you like the Rotom I've been using ;D. Gotta say though, definitely go with Pain Split over the Protect. Especially with him being Defensive you for sure want him to live and with Rotom's low Base HP isn't not hard to steal tons of HP on a predicted switch (Blissey, Ferro, etc) and get him back to near Full HP.

Jul 14th, 2012, 1:28:50 AM	#4
Faov Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 3	Thank you both for the input, and I'm going to take both pieces of advice into account. You two added to my thoughts as well, for example, the Terrakion build. I wanted to be able to set up on non threats and I felt that I rarely used Quick Attack or X-Scissor anyways with the Choice Band set. As for the Rotom-W, I do believe it is your build. I used to run the standard special sweeper, however I changed it when I saw yours to experiment. I instantly liked it because it could tank hits especially vs rain teams that otherwise would give me trouble. I think I will change Protect because I find myself rarely using it to scout out any Grass moves. The Scizor change from the HP i really did overlook, so thank you very much for pointing that out. I don't know if I should change pursuit though solely because Scizor is my answer to the Lati twins. Any more input on this choice would be nice. Thanks again for the critique :)