Now that I obviously grabbed your attention, take a look at this. I use a lot of unconventional stuff here, and it's worked pretty well for me until today. Let's just say my 5th gen win/lose used to be 42/4, and now it's 42/14. That's why I'm making this RMT; so that everyone can tell me to run Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, and Gliscor. Well, remaking, because my stupid web browser "quit unexpectedly" and I lost an hour's worth of work.
Here's the overview:
...What? I'm serious about that Aron.
LEMME BREAK IT DOWN FOR YA
Item: Expert Belt
Ability: Derp Stream
Naive, 56 Atk/252 SpA/200 Spe
Superpower
Flamethrower
Ice Beam
Dark Pulse
This guy really does a very handy job of getting stuff done. It's painfully easy to bluff a physical set and/or a Choice item with Superpower, especially against a Hydreigon that just got a kill with Draco Meteor. Then, anticipate the incoming counter (usually Ferrothorn or Gliscor) and maul it accordingly. Funnily enough, when I made the team I meant to use Tyranitar as the go-to lead, but I mostly end up leading with Starmie to threaten Politoed. Damn Rain teams... Whatever, 4th gen mixTar still works pretty well. However, I've seen a set floating around once or twice that had a Sassy nature and knew Fire Blast, SR and Crunch. If anyone else has seen that, would you mind posting it here? I couldn't find it after a quick search.
------*brofist*
Item: Lefties
Ability: Derp Body
Careful, 252 HP/4 Def/252 SpD
Rock Slide
Thunder Wave
Stealth Rock
Drain Punch
This was the 4th gen NU standard for Regirock, and it continues to stand proud and tall in 5th gen Sandstorm. Those defenses are just stupid. Seriously, Chuck Norris roundhouse kicks are, like, a 3KO. Nothing has ever killed this in one hit, ever. Even a +1 Adamant max Atk Meteor Mash from Metagross can't kill it after Stealth Rock damage. For that reason, and because of Intimidate from Salamence and Gyarados, whom Regirock can punish easily with Rock Slide, I picked Clear Body over Sturdy. You'll notice I also chose Drain Punch over EQ, for a little extra survivability and because my main target with EQ, Heatran, probably won't stay in anyways. Thunder wave and Rock Slide have great synergy; I've actually stalled out a mixed Infernape head-to-head and come out with about 1/3 of my HP intact. Additionally, this guy hard-counters Gengar, who would otherwise do a number on Starmie, Tyranitar, and possibly Skarmory with HP Fire or Thunderbolt. However, I've been a little disappointed with his damage output. He just isn't strong enough to take down some sweepers as opposed to merely crippling them with T-Wave.
Item: Lefties
Ability: Natural Derp
Timid, 4 HP/252 SpA/252 Spe
Rapid Spin
Surf
Thunderbolt
Recover
Starmie has always been a little difficult for me to use properly, but I still think he's great. He has instant recovery, decent if not good defenses to take the odd neutral or NVE hit, and Rapid Spin (which is crucial to my endgame strategy). I spent a long time deciding on a Rapid Spinner, and Starmie fits the bill quite nicely. Thunderbolt shuts down Gyarados, and Surf blindsides Gliscor who would otherwise give me some problems. Those are the main two, but Starmie gets some serious mileage if he doesn't get critted or something. Unfortunately, he isn't exactly a defensive or offensive behemoth. I've experimentally alternated between max HP and max SpA in the past; max HP means I don't get that crucial KO, and max SpA means something sneezes at me and I have an aneurism.
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Derp Rush
Jolly, 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Brick Break
Earthquake
Rock Slide
X-Scissor
This guy looked a whole lot better on paper, let me tell ya. My rationale was this: if everyone and their mother is running a Sandstorm team with Sand Rush Excadrill on it, why not have a direct counter under the same conditions? Introducing a FASTER Excadrill that still hits hard: Choice Band Mole. It's molicious, I tell you! (maniacal laughter)
Okay, even though it forces a crapload of switches that expect the SD set, there's a lot wrong with it. First off, I've never even run up on an opposing Excadrill, just by random luck that no one I have ever, ever faced even uses one. So basically, for the last month I've been stuck constantly mispredicting and hitting Thundurus with a Brick Break. Second, the only move really worth a crud in Excadrill's movepool is Earthquake, and that hardly ever gets any usage with Skarmory, Gliscor, Dragonite/Salamence, Thundurus, Air Balloon Heatran/Magnezone, all those guys constantly facing me. And third, sometimes we all just flat-out choose a stupid move and watch Heatran take an X-Scissor.
I'm thinking of keeping Jolly but going over to a Swords Dance or just 4-attacks set with an Air Balloon. but then I'd lose even more power. And yet I don't want to go with Adamant, because I know as soon as I do I'm going to run up on another one and lose the stupid speed tie. Is there a good replacement for Excadrill that could do a similar job to the Swords Dance set (fast, powerful sweeping, with or without set-up)? I'm still used to the 4th gen metagame, so any big ideas will really help me.
Item: Lefties
Ability: Sturderp
Impish, 252 HP/252 Def/4 SpD
Toxic
Sky Drop
Protect
Roost
I got tired of the hazards Skarmory last gen. Yes, it's fantastic, but it also gets really boring. So I stole this set from someone on YouTube (Xenon, I believe). It basically takes passive damage to the max, though it doesn't do so hot against a few common things. In particular, Steel-types and other things immune to Sandstorm don't have too many problems out of it. Gliscor really shuts it down, packing Taunt and Poison Heal. I've actually been stuck at a point of me vs. said Gliscor, and neither of us could touch each other; I had Sky Drop and Toxic, and he had EQ and... well, Toxic.
Really, though, I might need to look at a different physical defender. Skarmory can take hits well into next week, but most of his switch-ins are Steel-types, and Magnezone really screws me over.
And finally, the one you've probably been wondering about...
Item: Shell Bell
Ability: Sturdier than the Eiffel Tower
EVs/nature don't matter, level 1
Endeavor
Toxic
Protect
Metal Burst
First, I'll state what screws him over. Entry hazards break Sturdy, so Starmie's support is a necessity. Ghost-types are immune to Endeavor, which Tyranitar and Regirock together do a decent job of killing and walling, respectively. Status dooms Aron too, so Starmie's Natural Cure comes into play.
Now, for how this absolute monster works. Switch him in after I lose somebody, so as not to take a stray attack or status. Take a hit, then use Endeavor to bring the opponent down to your health. Shell Bell then heals you for the damage you just caused, putting you back to full HP, and Sandstorm picks off their last hit point. For Pokemon immune to Sandstorm, you can reduce them to 1 HP with Endeavor, then take another hit and Metal Burst them; this finishes them off but reduces Aron to scrap metal. Protect is for general scouting, i.e. "does that Gengar pack Will-O-Wisp for some reason" kind of stuff, and Toxic is for when you know Aron can't Endeavor, but you need to do something useful like put Toxic on a Jellicent.
Now, for the threats. Let's mix it up and deal with the defensive threats first:
(Sorry, no pictures, just pretty colors)
Blue: Little to no threat
Yellow: Somewhat of a threat
Orange: Have to take extra measures to deal with
Red: This is gonna suck
Machamp: OSHI-
Blissey/Chansey: I don't worry about them. Taking them down only ever becomes a priority if they're Wish passers, and it doesn't take long to do that with CB Excadrill forcing switches like crazy and SR hopefully racking up.
Bronzong: I have some trouble killing it, but it never gets to do much damage to the team. The worst it can really do is set up TR, and Skarmory has always been able to handle that without too much of a problem.
Celebi: In the rain, Celebi becomes a problem just through sheer survivability. Excadrill can maul it with X-Scissor, but Energy Ball still hurts and it usually switches out to a Bug-resist, leaving me with my pants around my metaphorical ankles.
Deoxys-D: It usually gets to do its job of setting up, but it's never been a problem in the slightest. I've actually been able to bring Aron right in as it started setting up and kill it once it got two turns of "stuff" up.In addition to that, Skarmory packs Toxic, and the whole team together can muscle its way through Deoxys-D.
Dusclops: Again, not a problem. The worst it has is Will-O-Wisp, which Starmie can always sponge, and Seismic Toss means nothing against Recover.
Ferrothorn: Surprisingly, I don't have many problems here. Leech Seed can suck if I slip up, but most Ferrothorn will come in on T-tar after Superpower or on a predicted one, and they never expect a Flamethrower. It's like taking candy from a baby.
Forretress: Pretty much the same story as Ferrothorn, except even less difficult to deal with. Sorry, Forry, but your time is pretty much over. I'm surprised he's not UU already.
Gliscor: Gliscor can cause serious problems if Tyranitar and Starmie have both been KOed, but that's fairly rare. The Swords Dance set gives me a headache, though; Skarmory can wall it, but can't do anything to hurt it.
Hippowdon: Starmie 2KOes the physically defensive version, Excadrill can finish it if Starmie falls, and Skarmory makes Hippowdon its bitch.
Jellicent: Problematic if I don't manage to Toxic it. Will-O-Wisp does a number on everyone except Starmie, and Thunderbolt can't keep up with Recover, but Excadrill can muscle his way straight through it and Tyranitar could scare it out if I need him to by threatening a Crunch.
Lati@s: Oh boy, here we go. Specs versions of either pretty much ruin my day; Skarmory lack the special bulk to take Draco Meteors, and Regirock can't take but possibly two of them. Additionally, while X-Scissor is nice, Excadrill can't always OHKO the bulkier ones, Specs or no. The Calm Mind sets can also give me trouble once they see Tyranitar is mixed, and if I can't get Aron onto the field.
Ninetales: Its attacks will smart, no matter who takes the hit, but I can always get around him with prediction. The defensive variant doesn't give me any trouble.
Politoed: Who doesn't have trouble with this thing? The most surefire way I've been able to get around it is to let them set up their weather, bring in Tyranitar once, then predict the switch-in and hurt it. Stealth Rock also obviously helps out here.
Porygon-2: I haven't run up on one, but I wouldn't expect much of a struggle out of it. Excadrill can take a couple hits from it and at least 2KO with EQ, or Aron could do his thing. Trick Room, however, would ruin Aron, so I'd have to be careful about that.
Rotom-W: In the Rain, it keeps me scrambling until Aron can cripple it. Without the Rain, I can land status on it and dispose of it eventually. In any situation, I'm happy if I can get it to Trick its scarf onto Tyranitar.
Skarmory: Pph. Starmie slams it, Tyranitar slams it, Regirock screws it over with Thunder Wave, Excadrill can still wallop it with Rock Slide or Brick Break... yada yada yada.
Snorlax: Another one I haven't run up on, but I could expect some big trouble out of this guy. With a couple of Curses up, my mostly physical team would have a very hard time getting around him without crit-hax.
Suicune: If it's CroCune, I usually have to sacrifice Excadrill to tear an Earthquake-sized chunk out of it, and then finish it with someone else. If it doesn't have Rest, Skarmory can Toxic it, and then Starmie can battle it with T-bolt and Recover. If Starmie or Skarmory falls, however, I can always down it with Aron.
Swampert: I'm really quite ashamed to have to mark this guy as a big threat. This is the first team I've ever NOT carried a Grass move on, and it has really cost me. Nobody gets good enough damage on it with what they've got; Skarmory risks the Burn from Scald, Tyranitar and Excadrill get flat-out beaten, Regirock can't keep up enough damage and can't paralyze it, Starmie gets solidly 2KOed by EQ, and Aron can't finish the job completely, needing someone else to pop in, take a hit, and pick off the last few hit points.
Tentacruel: A pain in the Rain. Oh wow, that rhymed. Sorry about that. Excadrill of course maims it, but that's the perfect opportunity to get Thundurus in there and whip off a Nasty Plot on the switch.
Vaporeon: Much like Tentacruel, these can suck in the Rain. Excadrill's EQ is a beefy 2KO, but Surf/Scald wrecks him in return.
Whimsicott: Annoying, but not a big problem. They're great at giving Tyranitar the opportunity to take out some of his counters at the beginning of the game.
Right. Now, for offensive threats:
Breloom: Nobody is completely immune to this bastard. Regirock usually ends up eating the sleep, and everything else except Skarmory gets mauled by Focus Punch. I ought to run something with a Flying move for general Fighting types. More on that in a moment.
Conkeldurr: That was a very short moment. This thing absolutely destroys me, and there's not much I can do to it. If Excadrill is weakened, Mach Punch deals with him handily, and Buddha help me if it gets a Guts boost.
Darmanitan: Meh. Regirock can usually manage him alone, but Excadrill's rather stupid Spe and Atk in the sand don't hurt anything.
Deoxys-S: The somewhat rare Life Orb leads can kill Tyranitar if I'm not careful, but Starmie can 2KO those and break the Focus Sash on the 252/252 HP/Spe ones, then go to someone else to finish it off.
Dragonite: Only really a pain if I don't have SR up, or if Tyranitar is gone. Excadrill still does a number on it once Multi-Scale is broken, and Aron can pull his usual hijinks if no hazards are up.
Empoleon: I've only run up on one so far, and it didn't give me much trouble. Still something not to be dismissed entirely.
Excadrill: Nope. Even if my own is gone, Regirock has 2KOed it with Drain Punch and some Life Orb recoil.
Gengar: Like a lot of things, only a problem if Regirock is gone. Most will stay in and get crippled by T-Wave, then sacrifice themselves to get damage on him, but Regirock usually survives the ordeal barring early SpD drops from Focus Blast or Shadow Ball.
Gyarados: Regirock is practically a hard counter. Starmie can also take it out if it doesn't have a DD up yet, and Excadrill can do his thing in the sand, outrunning even +2 Spe Gyara.
Haxorus: The Banded variants can be a problem, but most can be dealt with by Skarmory unless they have Taunt. Never seen one that does, so I'm not too worried about that.
Heatran: Heatran has a hard time taking down Regirock, but if he and Excadrill are gone then Heatran often gets free reign. Aron can cripple him, or maybe finish him with Metal Burst, but if the first hit Burns Aron then he can't finish up alone.
Hydreigon: Regirock can deal with it most of the time, and take advantage of its incessant switching to cripple some incoming counters with Thunder Wave or maybe even score a hit with Drain Punch. I'm really tempted to just start copy-pasting Aron into some of these.
Infernape: Regirock can usually take it out, but I have to pretty much sacrifice him to do it, which usually means no Stealth Rock. Skarmory can't always deal with it because of Fire STAB, and Starmie can't switch into an attack but can threaten it out or kill it. Aron can also do it in, barring hazards or Fake Out, but leads with Stealth Rock obviously mess that up a bit.
Jirachi: I really hate this little bastard. The Sub-CM ones absolutely suck to deal with in the Rain. Excadrill can do the job, but again, that Choice item becomes problematic, and even a +1 Psychic will hurt somewhat. My best bet against the para-hax variant is also Excadrill, and a non-CM version in the sand won't like switching into a Flamethrower from Tyranitar but won't get steamrolled by it.
Landorus: Similar situation with Gliscor; a lot of them die as soon as they come in. However, once they're in, I'm pretty much completely set-up fodder. My best bet is Toxic from Skarmory, and seeing as Rock Polish Landorus is an endgame sweeper, that's not very often. Rock Slide from Excadrill also fails to KO despite the Choice Band, which started me wondering about that decision.
Lucario: Not as big of a problem as Conkeldurr, but still a big problem. Aron can cripple/kamikaze it, and Skarmory can capably wall a non-SD variant, but the SD ones really give me trouble.
Machamp: DEAR GOD. IT'S MACHAMP. Take everything I said about Conkeldurr and Lucario, put them together, square that, have babies with it, start an entire nation called I Am Afraid Of Fighting Types, and then get back to me. The entire trouble with Machamp is the confusion from Dynamicpunch. Skarmory can't wall it, Starmie can't kill it, everything else gets killed BY it... just... GAAAAAH!
Metagross: Not horrible, except for LeadGross (which is of course the most common one). It's too bulky to keel over from Starmie, too smart to stay in against Excadrill, immune to Skarmory's Toxic, and always has that freaking Occa Berry when I need it not to for Tyranitar to Flamethrower it. Only Excadrill really has a shot at killing it, and that is too often abused by my opponent to control my predictions.
Mienshao: More trouble from Fighting-types. I should have known what I was getting into by running Sandstorm. Hi Jump Kick slaughters half the team. If the opponent hasn't seen Skarmory's Protect, then that's something I can use against it, but besides that and Toxic stalling I don't have much else to do to it.
Reuniclus: Not too bad. As with any team, if it sets up then it's a problem, but it rarely gets that far.
Salamence: More delicious meat for Tyranitar. If that fails, Skarmory can come in on a +1 Outrage, no trouble, and start stalling. Sky Drop doesn't do any damage because of its Flying type, but it still takes it up into the air.
Sawsbuck: Skarmory and Regirock can juggle it between them very well, even in the sun.
Scizor: As long as I don't let the SD user set up on me, I'll be fine. Excadrill resists Bullet Punch and OHKOs it, and Scizor never stays in on Skarmory.
Scrafty: Nothing terrible here, actually. They usually get greedy and try to set up instantly, thinking they can abuse my numerous Fighting phobias, but Skarmory deals with it well, especially HJK users.
Starmie: Not strong enough to really threaten Regirock with Surf, especially not Rapid Spin or defensive variants, and Aron can take it out without too much trouble. Rapid Spin can be a pain in the ass, of course, but that just comes with the package.
Terrakion: If Excadrill isn't around, I may well be toast. Regirock gets 2KOed by STAB Close Combat and can't OHKO with Drain Punch even after the Def drop, and Skarmory still takes a brutal beating.
Thundurus: Nasty Plot can screw me over if well-timed and I don't have Sandstorm up, but if I do then Regirock can tank the hits and return fire with Rock Slide.
Tornadus: Not nearly as big of a problem as his brothers. Almost everyone on the team resists his STAB and has a way to deal with him, especially Regirock and Aron.
Tyranitar: Excadrill, Regirock, and Skarmory can all deal with it most of the time. Skarmory usually ends up Protect-scouting for the Fire Blast first.
Venusaur: Like Sawsbuck, but slightly more threatening. I can very often bring in Tyranitar and lock it into a 3-turn Solarbeam, which is always fun to watch.
Victini: This guy could be a problem in the sun. V-Create doesn't mess around, and while Regirock can take the hit without too much of a problem, he can't do it more than a few times.
Virizion: I've never been too bothered by it. Most of them expect free switches or Justified boosts out of Tyranitar, so that's always nice.
Volcarona: Easy pickings if Sneaky Pebbles are up, and a slight nuisance if they aren't. As soon as the setup starts, Regirock can come in and threaten it with Rock Slide.
Weavile: Heh.
All righty then, this took freaking forever to type. Thanks so much, Safari, for crashing. Take a look at what I've got, and tell me what I can do to fix what's wrong. In particular, I reeeeeeeeeally need a solid way to deal with most Fighting types.
Here's the overview:
...What? I'm serious about that Aron.
LEMME BREAK IT DOWN FOR YA
Item: Expert Belt
Ability: Derp Stream
Naive, 56 Atk/252 SpA/200 Spe
Superpower
Flamethrower
Ice Beam
Dark Pulse
This guy really does a very handy job of getting stuff done. It's painfully easy to bluff a physical set and/or a Choice item with Superpower, especially against a Hydreigon that just got a kill with Draco Meteor. Then, anticipate the incoming counter (usually Ferrothorn or Gliscor) and maul it accordingly. Funnily enough, when I made the team I meant to use Tyranitar as the go-to lead, but I mostly end up leading with Starmie to threaten Politoed. Damn Rain teams... Whatever, 4th gen mixTar still works pretty well. However, I've seen a set floating around once or twice that had a Sassy nature and knew Fire Blast, SR and Crunch. If anyone else has seen that, would you mind posting it here? I couldn't find it after a quick search.
------*brofist*
Item: Lefties
Ability: Derp Body
Careful, 252 HP/4 Def/252 SpD
Rock Slide
Thunder Wave
Stealth Rock
Drain Punch
This was the 4th gen NU standard for Regirock, and it continues to stand proud and tall in 5th gen Sandstorm. Those defenses are just stupid. Seriously, Chuck Norris roundhouse kicks are, like, a 3KO. Nothing has ever killed this in one hit, ever. Even a +1 Adamant max Atk Meteor Mash from Metagross can't kill it after Stealth Rock damage. For that reason, and because of Intimidate from Salamence and Gyarados, whom Regirock can punish easily with Rock Slide, I picked Clear Body over Sturdy. You'll notice I also chose Drain Punch over EQ, for a little extra survivability and because my main target with EQ, Heatran, probably won't stay in anyways. Thunder wave and Rock Slide have great synergy; I've actually stalled out a mixed Infernape head-to-head and come out with about 1/3 of my HP intact. Additionally, this guy hard-counters Gengar, who would otherwise do a number on Starmie, Tyranitar, and possibly Skarmory with HP Fire or Thunderbolt. However, I've been a little disappointed with his damage output. He just isn't strong enough to take down some sweepers as opposed to merely crippling them with T-Wave.
Item: Lefties
Ability: Natural Derp
Timid, 4 HP/252 SpA/252 Spe
Rapid Spin
Surf
Thunderbolt
Recover
Starmie has always been a little difficult for me to use properly, but I still think he's great. He has instant recovery, decent if not good defenses to take the odd neutral or NVE hit, and Rapid Spin (which is crucial to my endgame strategy). I spent a long time deciding on a Rapid Spinner, and Starmie fits the bill quite nicely. Thunderbolt shuts down Gyarados, and Surf blindsides Gliscor who would otherwise give me some problems. Those are the main two, but Starmie gets some serious mileage if he doesn't get critted or something. Unfortunately, he isn't exactly a defensive or offensive behemoth. I've experimentally alternated between max HP and max SpA in the past; max HP means I don't get that crucial KO, and max SpA means something sneezes at me and I have an aneurism.
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Derp Rush
Jolly, 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Brick Break
Earthquake
Rock Slide
X-Scissor
This guy looked a whole lot better on paper, let me tell ya. My rationale was this: if everyone and their mother is running a Sandstorm team with Sand Rush Excadrill on it, why not have a direct counter under the same conditions? Introducing a FASTER Excadrill that still hits hard: Choice Band Mole. It's molicious, I tell you! (maniacal laughter)
Okay, even though it forces a crapload of switches that expect the SD set, there's a lot wrong with it. First off, I've never even run up on an opposing Excadrill, just by random luck that no one I have ever, ever faced even uses one. So basically, for the last month I've been stuck constantly mispredicting and hitting Thundurus with a Brick Break. Second, the only move really worth a crud in Excadrill's movepool is Earthquake, and that hardly ever gets any usage with Skarmory, Gliscor, Dragonite/Salamence, Thundurus, Air Balloon Heatran/Magnezone, all those guys constantly facing me. And third, sometimes we all just flat-out choose a stupid move and watch Heatran take an X-Scissor.
I'm thinking of keeping Jolly but going over to a Swords Dance or just 4-attacks set with an Air Balloon. but then I'd lose even more power. And yet I don't want to go with Adamant, because I know as soon as I do I'm going to run up on another one and lose the stupid speed tie. Is there a good replacement for Excadrill that could do a similar job to the Swords Dance set (fast, powerful sweeping, with or without set-up)? I'm still used to the 4th gen metagame, so any big ideas will really help me.
Item: Lefties
Ability: Sturderp
Impish, 252 HP/252 Def/4 SpD
Toxic
Sky Drop
Protect
Roost
I got tired of the hazards Skarmory last gen. Yes, it's fantastic, but it also gets really boring. So I stole this set from someone on YouTube (Xenon, I believe). It basically takes passive damage to the max, though it doesn't do so hot against a few common things. In particular, Steel-types and other things immune to Sandstorm don't have too many problems out of it. Gliscor really shuts it down, packing Taunt and Poison Heal. I've actually been stuck at a point of me vs. said Gliscor, and neither of us could touch each other; I had Sky Drop and Toxic, and he had EQ and... well, Toxic.
Really, though, I might need to look at a different physical defender. Skarmory can take hits well into next week, but most of his switch-ins are Steel-types, and Magnezone really screws me over.
And finally, the one you've probably been wondering about...
Item: Shell Bell
Ability: Sturdier than the Eiffel Tower
EVs/nature don't matter, level 1
Endeavor
Toxic
Protect
Metal Burst
First, I'll state what screws him over. Entry hazards break Sturdy, so Starmie's support is a necessity. Ghost-types are immune to Endeavor, which Tyranitar and Regirock together do a decent job of killing and walling, respectively. Status dooms Aron too, so Starmie's Natural Cure comes into play.
Now, for how this absolute monster works. Switch him in after I lose somebody, so as not to take a stray attack or status. Take a hit, then use Endeavor to bring the opponent down to your health. Shell Bell then heals you for the damage you just caused, putting you back to full HP, and Sandstorm picks off their last hit point. For Pokemon immune to Sandstorm, you can reduce them to 1 HP with Endeavor, then take another hit and Metal Burst them; this finishes them off but reduces Aron to scrap metal. Protect is for general scouting, i.e. "does that Gengar pack Will-O-Wisp for some reason" kind of stuff, and Toxic is for when you know Aron can't Endeavor, but you need to do something useful like put Toxic on a Jellicent.
Now, for the threats. Let's mix it up and deal with the defensive threats first:
(Sorry, no pictures, just pretty colors)
Blue: Little to no threat
Yellow: Somewhat of a threat
Orange: Have to take extra measures to deal with
Red: This is gonna suck
Machamp: OSHI-
Blissey/Chansey: I don't worry about them. Taking them down only ever becomes a priority if they're Wish passers, and it doesn't take long to do that with CB Excadrill forcing switches like crazy and SR hopefully racking up.
Bronzong: I have some trouble killing it, but it never gets to do much damage to the team. The worst it can really do is set up TR, and Skarmory has always been able to handle that without too much of a problem.
Celebi: In the rain, Celebi becomes a problem just through sheer survivability. Excadrill can maul it with X-Scissor, but Energy Ball still hurts and it usually switches out to a Bug-resist, leaving me with my pants around my metaphorical ankles.
Deoxys-D: It usually gets to do its job of setting up, but it's never been a problem in the slightest. I've actually been able to bring Aron right in as it started setting up and kill it once it got two turns of "stuff" up.In addition to that, Skarmory packs Toxic, and the whole team together can muscle its way through Deoxys-D.
Dusclops: Again, not a problem. The worst it has is Will-O-Wisp, which Starmie can always sponge, and Seismic Toss means nothing against Recover.
Ferrothorn: Surprisingly, I don't have many problems here. Leech Seed can suck if I slip up, but most Ferrothorn will come in on T-tar after Superpower or on a predicted one, and they never expect a Flamethrower. It's like taking candy from a baby.
Forretress: Pretty much the same story as Ferrothorn, except even less difficult to deal with. Sorry, Forry, but your time is pretty much over. I'm surprised he's not UU already.
Gliscor: Gliscor can cause serious problems if Tyranitar and Starmie have both been KOed, but that's fairly rare. The Swords Dance set gives me a headache, though; Skarmory can wall it, but can't do anything to hurt it.
Hippowdon: Starmie 2KOes the physically defensive version, Excadrill can finish it if Starmie falls, and Skarmory makes Hippowdon its bitch.
Jellicent: Problematic if I don't manage to Toxic it. Will-O-Wisp does a number on everyone except Starmie, and Thunderbolt can't keep up with Recover, but Excadrill can muscle his way straight through it and Tyranitar could scare it out if I need him to by threatening a Crunch.
Lati@s: Oh boy, here we go. Specs versions of either pretty much ruin my day; Skarmory lack the special bulk to take Draco Meteors, and Regirock can't take but possibly two of them. Additionally, while X-Scissor is nice, Excadrill can't always OHKO the bulkier ones, Specs or no. The Calm Mind sets can also give me trouble once they see Tyranitar is mixed, and if I can't get Aron onto the field.
Ninetales: Its attacks will smart, no matter who takes the hit, but I can always get around him with prediction. The defensive variant doesn't give me any trouble.
Politoed: Who doesn't have trouble with this thing? The most surefire way I've been able to get around it is to let them set up their weather, bring in Tyranitar once, then predict the switch-in and hurt it. Stealth Rock also obviously helps out here.
Porygon-2: I haven't run up on one, but I wouldn't expect much of a struggle out of it. Excadrill can take a couple hits from it and at least 2KO with EQ, or Aron could do his thing. Trick Room, however, would ruin Aron, so I'd have to be careful about that.
Rotom-W: In the Rain, it keeps me scrambling until Aron can cripple it. Without the Rain, I can land status on it and dispose of it eventually. In any situation, I'm happy if I can get it to Trick its scarf onto Tyranitar.
Skarmory: Pph. Starmie slams it, Tyranitar slams it, Regirock screws it over with Thunder Wave, Excadrill can still wallop it with Rock Slide or Brick Break... yada yada yada.
Snorlax: Another one I haven't run up on, but I could expect some big trouble out of this guy. With a couple of Curses up, my mostly physical team would have a very hard time getting around him without crit-hax.
Suicune: If it's CroCune, I usually have to sacrifice Excadrill to tear an Earthquake-sized chunk out of it, and then finish it with someone else. If it doesn't have Rest, Skarmory can Toxic it, and then Starmie can battle it with T-bolt and Recover. If Starmie or Skarmory falls, however, I can always down it with Aron.
Swampert: I'm really quite ashamed to have to mark this guy as a big threat. This is the first team I've ever NOT carried a Grass move on, and it has really cost me. Nobody gets good enough damage on it with what they've got; Skarmory risks the Burn from Scald, Tyranitar and Excadrill get flat-out beaten, Regirock can't keep up enough damage and can't paralyze it, Starmie gets solidly 2KOed by EQ, and Aron can't finish the job completely, needing someone else to pop in, take a hit, and pick off the last few hit points.
Tentacruel: A pain in the Rain. Oh wow, that rhymed. Sorry about that. Excadrill of course maims it, but that's the perfect opportunity to get Thundurus in there and whip off a Nasty Plot on the switch.
Vaporeon: Much like Tentacruel, these can suck in the Rain. Excadrill's EQ is a beefy 2KO, but Surf/Scald wrecks him in return.
Whimsicott: Annoying, but not a big problem. They're great at giving Tyranitar the opportunity to take out some of his counters at the beginning of the game.
Right. Now, for offensive threats:
Breloom: Nobody is completely immune to this bastard. Regirock usually ends up eating the sleep, and everything else except Skarmory gets mauled by Focus Punch. I ought to run something with a Flying move for general Fighting types. More on that in a moment.
Conkeldurr: That was a very short moment. This thing absolutely destroys me, and there's not much I can do to it. If Excadrill is weakened, Mach Punch deals with him handily, and Buddha help me if it gets a Guts boost.
Darmanitan: Meh. Regirock can usually manage him alone, but Excadrill's rather stupid Spe and Atk in the sand don't hurt anything.
Deoxys-S: The somewhat rare Life Orb leads can kill Tyranitar if I'm not careful, but Starmie can 2KO those and break the Focus Sash on the 252/252 HP/Spe ones, then go to someone else to finish it off.
Dragonite: Only really a pain if I don't have SR up, or if Tyranitar is gone. Excadrill still does a number on it once Multi-Scale is broken, and Aron can pull his usual hijinks if no hazards are up.
Empoleon: I've only run up on one so far, and it didn't give me much trouble. Still something not to be dismissed entirely.
Excadrill: Nope. Even if my own is gone, Regirock has 2KOed it with Drain Punch and some Life Orb recoil.
Gengar: Like a lot of things, only a problem if Regirock is gone. Most will stay in and get crippled by T-Wave, then sacrifice themselves to get damage on him, but Regirock usually survives the ordeal barring early SpD drops from Focus Blast or Shadow Ball.
Gyarados: Regirock is practically a hard counter. Starmie can also take it out if it doesn't have a DD up yet, and Excadrill can do his thing in the sand, outrunning even +2 Spe Gyara.
Haxorus: The Banded variants can be a problem, but most can be dealt with by Skarmory unless they have Taunt. Never seen one that does, so I'm not too worried about that.
Heatran: Heatran has a hard time taking down Regirock, but if he and Excadrill are gone then Heatran often gets free reign. Aron can cripple him, or maybe finish him with Metal Burst, but if the first hit Burns Aron then he can't finish up alone.
Hydreigon: Regirock can deal with it most of the time, and take advantage of its incessant switching to cripple some incoming counters with Thunder Wave or maybe even score a hit with Drain Punch. I'm really tempted to just start copy-pasting Aron into some of these.
Infernape: Regirock can usually take it out, but I have to pretty much sacrifice him to do it, which usually means no Stealth Rock. Skarmory can't always deal with it because of Fire STAB, and Starmie can't switch into an attack but can threaten it out or kill it. Aron can also do it in, barring hazards or Fake Out, but leads with Stealth Rock obviously mess that up a bit.
Jirachi: I really hate this little bastard. The Sub-CM ones absolutely suck to deal with in the Rain. Excadrill can do the job, but again, that Choice item becomes problematic, and even a +1 Psychic will hurt somewhat. My best bet against the para-hax variant is also Excadrill, and a non-CM version in the sand won't like switching into a Flamethrower from Tyranitar but won't get steamrolled by it.
Landorus: Similar situation with Gliscor; a lot of them die as soon as they come in. However, once they're in, I'm pretty much completely set-up fodder. My best bet is Toxic from Skarmory, and seeing as Rock Polish Landorus is an endgame sweeper, that's not very often. Rock Slide from Excadrill also fails to KO despite the Choice Band, which started me wondering about that decision.
Lucario: Not as big of a problem as Conkeldurr, but still a big problem. Aron can cripple/kamikaze it, and Skarmory can capably wall a non-SD variant, but the SD ones really give me trouble.
Machamp: DEAR GOD. IT'S MACHAMP. Take everything I said about Conkeldurr and Lucario, put them together, square that, have babies with it, start an entire nation called I Am Afraid Of Fighting Types, and then get back to me. The entire trouble with Machamp is the confusion from Dynamicpunch. Skarmory can't wall it, Starmie can't kill it, everything else gets killed BY it... just... GAAAAAH!
Metagross: Not horrible, except for LeadGross (which is of course the most common one). It's too bulky to keel over from Starmie, too smart to stay in against Excadrill, immune to Skarmory's Toxic, and always has that freaking Occa Berry when I need it not to for Tyranitar to Flamethrower it. Only Excadrill really has a shot at killing it, and that is too often abused by my opponent to control my predictions.
Mienshao: More trouble from Fighting-types. I should have known what I was getting into by running Sandstorm. Hi Jump Kick slaughters half the team. If the opponent hasn't seen Skarmory's Protect, then that's something I can use against it, but besides that and Toxic stalling I don't have much else to do to it.
Reuniclus: Not too bad. As with any team, if it sets up then it's a problem, but it rarely gets that far.
Salamence: More delicious meat for Tyranitar. If that fails, Skarmory can come in on a +1 Outrage, no trouble, and start stalling. Sky Drop doesn't do any damage because of its Flying type, but it still takes it up into the air.
Sawsbuck: Skarmory and Regirock can juggle it between them very well, even in the sun.
Scizor: As long as I don't let the SD user set up on me, I'll be fine. Excadrill resists Bullet Punch and OHKOs it, and Scizor never stays in on Skarmory.
Scrafty: Nothing terrible here, actually. They usually get greedy and try to set up instantly, thinking they can abuse my numerous Fighting phobias, but Skarmory deals with it well, especially HJK users.
Starmie: Not strong enough to really threaten Regirock with Surf, especially not Rapid Spin or defensive variants, and Aron can take it out without too much trouble. Rapid Spin can be a pain in the ass, of course, but that just comes with the package.
Terrakion: If Excadrill isn't around, I may well be toast. Regirock gets 2KOed by STAB Close Combat and can't OHKO with Drain Punch even after the Def drop, and Skarmory still takes a brutal beating.
Thundurus: Nasty Plot can screw me over if well-timed and I don't have Sandstorm up, but if I do then Regirock can tank the hits and return fire with Rock Slide.
Tornadus: Not nearly as big of a problem as his brothers. Almost everyone on the team resists his STAB and has a way to deal with him, especially Regirock and Aron.
Tyranitar: Excadrill, Regirock, and Skarmory can all deal with it most of the time. Skarmory usually ends up Protect-scouting for the Fire Blast first.
Venusaur: Like Sawsbuck, but slightly more threatening. I can very often bring in Tyranitar and lock it into a 3-turn Solarbeam, which is always fun to watch.
Victini: This guy could be a problem in the sun. V-Create doesn't mess around, and while Regirock can take the hit without too much of a problem, he can't do it more than a few times.
Virizion: I've never been too bothered by it. Most of them expect free switches or Justified boosts out of Tyranitar, so that's always nice.
Volcarona: Easy pickings if Sneaky Pebbles are up, and a slight nuisance if they aren't. As soon as the setup starts, Regirock can come in and threaten it with Rock Slide.
Weavile: Heh.
All righty then, this took freaking forever to type. Thanks so much, Safari, for crashing. Take a look at what I've got, and tell me what I can do to fix what's wrong. In particular, I reeeeeeeeeally need a solid way to deal with most Fighting types.
