I never liked weather. For some odd reason I always found it sort of obnoxious. I would always be like “Ugh, another weather team.” They were just so common! Too many Tyranitars, Hippowdons, and Politoads were everywhere. But after much battling, the thought had to creep up on me sometime. What was the appeal of weather teams? This is my first attempt at creating a weather based team.
TEAM BUILDING:
So the first choice was what sort of weather I wanted. I decided to go the non Dream World route, which ruled out Rain and Sun (As Politoed and Ninetales were the two most popular choices for those). Ice is much too fragile for me, so I chose a Sandstorm team. Next was to pick the set up: Hippowdon or Tyranitar? Both could easily set up Stealth Rock and place a Sandstorm in effect. Hippowdown was a little more bulky while Tyranitar packed a little more of a punch. I decided to go with Tyranitar for his access to STAB Pursuit and higher attack power, while still being fairly bulky.
Next, I decided to choose pokemon who could abuse the Sandstorm. Excadrill was a given; with its insane attack power, great coverage, and access to Sand Rush, it could easily sweep almost anything. Garchomp has been my favorite revenge killer since I started competitive battling, and it fit perfectly on this team. Sand Veil can easily change the tide of a match with a conveniently placed miss. With a scarf, Garchomp outspeed every other dragon except for the Lati twins.
I next looked for Pokemon that could add coverage to my team. I recently discovered of Genesect’s amazing movepool, and with its Steel typing to nullify the damaging effects of Sandstorm, I had to have it on my team. With its massive coverage I could easily counter 10 of the 17 types solely with Gensesect. It also added needed special coverage, since the rest of my team were physical attackers.
Next up is Reuniclus. Reuniclus was exactly the pokemon I was looking for to counter bulky Fighting types. Pokemon such as Conkeldurr and Machamp were no longer threats to the team. Also, with instant recovery, it’s not hard for Reuniclus to rack up Calm Minds and can sweep easily. Magic Guard is definitely one of my favorite abilities of all time. Not only does it protect Reuniclus from Sandstorm, it allows Life Orb boost without recoil. So not, Reuniclus is 30% stronger with no drawbacks. Win.
Now I was still lacking a couple of things: A goof Fire counter to go with Genesect, and a Bulky Water counter. I heard that Empoleon was one of the best late game sweepers last gen, and I decided to give him a try this time around. With the Substitute/Agility/Petaya combination, Empoleon could easily set up on opposing pokemon. Grass Knot took care of my bulky water problem, and STAB Surf takes care of fire types.
I found Virizion through battling some more and I wonder how I never thought of using it. It's a great bulky water counter, especially for Swampert, since it also resists ground. It's STAB Fighting coverage also really helps cover Dark types. With Stone Edge, this thing gets perfect neutral coverage.
OVERVIEW:
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______________________________________________________________________
DETAILED ANALYSIS:
Tyranitar @Focus Sash
Sand Stream || Careful
244 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe
~Stealth Rock
~Rock Slide
~Superpower
~Crunch
This set is a little different from a normal Tyranitar lead. Stealth Rock is ,t favorite type of entry hazard, and is stamdard. Rock Slide provides STAB on certain leads like Ninjask and Yanmega. Superower takes care of other Tyranitar leads, and Crunch can be deadly to leads like Azelf and Mew. Crunch over Pursuit for sheer power. The EV’s allow Tyranitar to survive many special leads, and makes him fairly bulky. The 8 speed EV's allow him to outspeed other Tyranitar leads and OHKO them with a Superpower. Focus Sash allows Tyranitar to survive and leads that can counter him and guarantee a Stealth Rock set up, He’s just got to be careful about Fighting type leads that use Fake Out.
Excadrill @Air Balloon
Sand Rush || Jolly
4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
~Swords Dance
~Earthquake
~Rock Slide
~X-Scissor
Excadrill is pretty much the star of the team, and seems like a must on all sand teams to me. Once Excadrill gets off a single Swords Dance, he jumps to a massive 738 attack, and with Sand on its side, his 604 speed allows him to sweep anything. Excadrill is my main sweeper along with Genesect, and he’s an amazing one. Fairly standard set, X-Scissor ovber Rapid Spin for coverage. The majority of my team resists Toxic Spikes and Spikes, and Stealth Rock doesn't do too much damage. Air Balloon allows Excadrill to come in on Earthquakes and set up. It also catches some people off guard, so they Earthquake after he comes out.
Garchomp @Choice Scarf
Sand Veil || Jolly
4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
~Outrage
~Earthquake
~Stone Edge
~Fire Blast
Garchomp has been a solid Choice Scarfer since Gen IV, and plays this same part on my team. Again with a standard set, Outrage and Earthquake add STAB moves to his arsenal. Stone Edge hits flying types and Volcarona for hard damage, and Fire Blast takes care of Skarmory. Massive 499 speed outspeed most other scarfed pokemon. This is one of the pokemon who I might change if someone has a good idea for another revenge killer that could fit the team.
Genesect @Expert Belt
Download || Timid
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~Rock Polish
~Flamethrower
~Thunderbolt
~Ice Beam
Geneset is just… wow. With its amazing movepool, Genesect can really do anything. This set is fairly standard, but it’s one of the best. Rock Polish and Download allow Genesect to become a fearsome sweeper. A +2 speed boost brings him up to 652 speed, and a +1 from Download brings his special attack to 508. Flamethrower and BoltBeam provide great coverage - 8 of the 17 types. Genesect is my main special sweeper. Expert Belt is a wonderful choice on Genesect due to its coverage. Life Orb might be a better option, but I'm saving that for the next pokemon...
Reuniclus @Life Orb
Magic Guard || Bold
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
~Calm Mind
~Psychic
~Focus Blast
~Recover
Reuniclus fit surprising well on this team. I needed something to counter bulky fighting types, and I didn’t want to put Psychic on Genesect. So did a little research and found Reuniclus. I had completely forgotten about its ability, Magic Guard, which not only protected it from two status effects, it protected it from Sandstorm as well. PLUS it removes Life Orb damage. With its insane natural bulk, and instant recovery move, Reuniclus can easily Calm Mind its way up to a sweep. Psychic has great STAB, and focus Blast covers Dark and Steel types that resist it as long as it hits. And with Life Orb, Reuniclus is 30% stronger, with no drawbacks. I was debating whether or not to put Energy Ball there instead, since I needed a bulky water counter. Which goes on to my next pokemon.
Virizion @ Leftovers
Justified || Jolly
4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
~Leaf Blade
~Close Combat
~Stone Edge
~Taunt
Virizon works much better as a bulky water counter AND it provides STAB fighting moves to the team. It can easily hit hardm while still maintaining its somewhat okay bulk. This is somewhat less standard than a normal Virizion. Leaf Blade and Close Combat for STAB, Stone Edge for neutral coverage, and Taunt stops pokemon from setting up. I was debating whether or not to use a Swords Dance set in place of Taunt or Stone Edge. Also, I tried to be a little more unorthodox by using a Choice Band on this set. It worked okay, but I didn't want to get locked into a move. But without a choice band, Virizion's attack is only 279, rather than 418.
Threats
These are just a couple of the threats I have encountered. If you can think of any others, please let me know =D
Excadrill
Two of my Pokemon are weak against ground, and it also has the Speed boost from sandstorm. Excadrill can easily sweep through my team if I can’t get off a focus blast from Reuniclus.
Gliscor
Gliscor can easily check Excadrill, and with STAB Earthquake, it can take out most of my team. The only checks on this I have are Genesect's Ice Beam.
Any and all comments are appreciated!
Also, if you haven't already noticed, I don't like repeating items. There's an item clause somewhere right?
Thanks so much!
~h7
TEAM BUILDING:
So the first choice was what sort of weather I wanted. I decided to go the non Dream World route, which ruled out Rain and Sun (As Politoed and Ninetales were the two most popular choices for those). Ice is much too fragile for me, so I chose a Sandstorm team. Next was to pick the set up: Hippowdon or Tyranitar? Both could easily set up Stealth Rock and place a Sandstorm in effect. Hippowdown was a little more bulky while Tyranitar packed a little more of a punch. I decided to go with Tyranitar for his access to STAB Pursuit and higher attack power, while still being fairly bulky.
Next, I decided to choose pokemon who could abuse the Sandstorm. Excadrill was a given; with its insane attack power, great coverage, and access to Sand Rush, it could easily sweep almost anything. Garchomp has been my favorite revenge killer since I started competitive battling, and it fit perfectly on this team. Sand Veil can easily change the tide of a match with a conveniently placed miss. With a scarf, Garchomp outspeed every other dragon except for the Lati twins.
I next looked for Pokemon that could add coverage to my team. I recently discovered of Genesect’s amazing movepool, and with its Steel typing to nullify the damaging effects of Sandstorm, I had to have it on my team. With its massive coverage I could easily counter 10 of the 17 types solely with Gensesect. It also added needed special coverage, since the rest of my team were physical attackers.
Next up is Reuniclus. Reuniclus was exactly the pokemon I was looking for to counter bulky Fighting types. Pokemon such as Conkeldurr and Machamp were no longer threats to the team. Also, with instant recovery, it’s not hard for Reuniclus to rack up Calm Minds and can sweep easily. Magic Guard is definitely one of my favorite abilities of all time. Not only does it protect Reuniclus from Sandstorm, it allows Life Orb boost without recoil. So not, Reuniclus is 30% stronger with no drawbacks. Win.
Now I was still lacking a couple of things: A goof Fire counter to go with Genesect, and a Bulky Water counter. I heard that Empoleon was one of the best late game sweepers last gen, and I decided to give him a try this time around. With the Substitute/Agility/Petaya combination, Empoleon could easily set up on opposing pokemon. Grass Knot took care of my bulky water problem, and STAB Surf takes care of fire types.
I found Virizion through battling some more and I wonder how I never thought of using it. It's a great bulky water counter, especially for Swampert, since it also resists ground. It's STAB Fighting coverage also really helps cover Dark types. With Stone Edge, this thing gets perfect neutral coverage.
OVERVIEW:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
DETAILED ANALYSIS:
Tyranitar @Focus Sash
Sand Stream || Careful
244 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe
~Stealth Rock
~Rock Slide
~Superpower
~Crunch
This set is a little different from a normal Tyranitar lead. Stealth Rock is ,t favorite type of entry hazard, and is stamdard. Rock Slide provides STAB on certain leads like Ninjask and Yanmega. Superower takes care of other Tyranitar leads, and Crunch can be deadly to leads like Azelf and Mew. Crunch over Pursuit for sheer power. The EV’s allow Tyranitar to survive many special leads, and makes him fairly bulky. The 8 speed EV's allow him to outspeed other Tyranitar leads and OHKO them with a Superpower. Focus Sash allows Tyranitar to survive and leads that can counter him and guarantee a Stealth Rock set up, He’s just got to be careful about Fighting type leads that use Fake Out.
Excadrill @Air Balloon
Sand Rush || Jolly
4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
~Swords Dance
~Earthquake
~Rock Slide
~X-Scissor
Excadrill is pretty much the star of the team, and seems like a must on all sand teams to me. Once Excadrill gets off a single Swords Dance, he jumps to a massive 738 attack, and with Sand on its side, his 604 speed allows him to sweep anything. Excadrill is my main sweeper along with Genesect, and he’s an amazing one. Fairly standard set, X-Scissor ovber Rapid Spin for coverage. The majority of my team resists Toxic Spikes and Spikes, and Stealth Rock doesn't do too much damage. Air Balloon allows Excadrill to come in on Earthquakes and set up. It also catches some people off guard, so they Earthquake after he comes out.
Garchomp @Choice Scarf
Sand Veil || Jolly
4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
~Outrage
~Earthquake
~Stone Edge
~Fire Blast
Garchomp has been a solid Choice Scarfer since Gen IV, and plays this same part on my team. Again with a standard set, Outrage and Earthquake add STAB moves to his arsenal. Stone Edge hits flying types and Volcarona for hard damage, and Fire Blast takes care of Skarmory. Massive 499 speed outspeed most other scarfed pokemon. This is one of the pokemon who I might change if someone has a good idea for another revenge killer that could fit the team.
Genesect @Expert Belt
Download || Timid
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~Rock Polish
~Flamethrower
~Thunderbolt
~Ice Beam
Geneset is just… wow. With its amazing movepool, Genesect can really do anything. This set is fairly standard, but it’s one of the best. Rock Polish and Download allow Genesect to become a fearsome sweeper. A +2 speed boost brings him up to 652 speed, and a +1 from Download brings his special attack to 508. Flamethrower and BoltBeam provide great coverage - 8 of the 17 types. Genesect is my main special sweeper. Expert Belt is a wonderful choice on Genesect due to its coverage. Life Orb might be a better option, but I'm saving that for the next pokemon...
Reuniclus @Life Orb
Magic Guard || Bold
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
~Calm Mind
~Psychic
~Focus Blast
~Recover
Reuniclus fit surprising well on this team. I needed something to counter bulky fighting types, and I didn’t want to put Psychic on Genesect. So did a little research and found Reuniclus. I had completely forgotten about its ability, Magic Guard, which not only protected it from two status effects, it protected it from Sandstorm as well. PLUS it removes Life Orb damage. With its insane natural bulk, and instant recovery move, Reuniclus can easily Calm Mind its way up to a sweep. Psychic has great STAB, and focus Blast covers Dark and Steel types that resist it as long as it hits. And with Life Orb, Reuniclus is 30% stronger, with no drawbacks. I was debating whether or not to put Energy Ball there instead, since I needed a bulky water counter. Which goes on to my next pokemon.
Virizion @ Leftovers
Justified || Jolly
4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
~Leaf Blade
~Close Combat
~Stone Edge
~Taunt
Virizon works much better as a bulky water counter AND it provides STAB fighting moves to the team. It can easily hit hardm while still maintaining its somewhat okay bulk. This is somewhat less standard than a normal Virizion. Leaf Blade and Close Combat for STAB, Stone Edge for neutral coverage, and Taunt stops pokemon from setting up. I was debating whether or not to use a Swords Dance set in place of Taunt or Stone Edge. Also, I tried to be a little more unorthodox by using a Choice Band on this set. It worked okay, but I didn't want to get locked into a move. But without a choice band, Virizion's attack is only 279, rather than 418.
Threats
These are just a couple of the threats I have encountered. If you can think of any others, please let me know =D
ExcadrillTwo of my Pokemon are weak against ground, and it also has the Speed boost from sandstorm. Excadrill can easily sweep through my team if I can’t get off a focus blast from Reuniclus.
GliscorGliscor can easily check Excadrill, and with STAB Earthquake, it can take out most of my team. The only checks on this I have are Genesect's Ice Beam.
Any and all comments are appreciated!
Also, if you haven't already noticed, I don't like repeating items. There's an item clause somewhere right?
Thanks so much!
~h7
