-SandScreen-
A 5th gen team using reflect and light screen and offensive synergy to overwhelm the opponent. 2 Dual screeners, 4 physical setup sweepers. Has sandstorm weather inducer, along with stealth rocks, and volt-turn-memento for switch advantage. Zero stealth rocks weaknesses, 3 spikes immunities, 4 toxic spikes immunities, two status abosrbers and really good defensive synergy.
Uxie / Rotom-w / Haxorus / Scizor / Tyranitar / Landorus
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“MindBlast” Uxie; (Levitate) @ Light Clay
+252 Hp / +20 Def / +236 Speed / Timid Nature (zero attack iv's)
Stealth Rock / Reflect / Light Screen / Memento
I don't really care about hazards, status or opponents setting up. With uxie i set up both screens in appropriate order, rocks and then memento for a safe switch. (If they use something like dragon dance first turn, ill just get up just one screen, and switch into a counter) 90% of the time i lead with uxie, the exceptions being if i see in preview a potential fast taunter like mew, azelf or aerodactyl. Or against a sleep inducer like breloom. For the prior i lead rotom-w and the latter i lead Haxorus.
The reason for timid+zero attack ev's is that as i am not attacking anyways, in the off chance i am confused i wont self damage as much.
With memento and screens they are forced to switch as they are effectively -4 attack. I usually memento into haxorus, because it has the most potential to do damage. In the rare case that i am saving uxie for later, i switch into a counter that resists whatever is out. Ie. scizor, then u turn to see what their scizor counter is.
I have seen many people using memento alongside u turn, which i find rather redundant, as memento gives you switch advantage anyways, and uxies u turn damage wont do much of anything. With the addition of a second screener in rotom-w, i don't have to worry about saving uxie for later, once it's done it's job.
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“FrostNova”: Rotom-w; (Levitate) @ Light Clay
+252 Hp / +172 Sp.Atk / +88 Speed / Modest Nature (zero attack iv's)
Volt Switch / Reflect / Light Screen / Thunder Wave
This effectively works as a scout, and a second screener, although not as good as uxie, as it lacks memento. If i see a potential taunter on the opponent's team i lead this instead of uxie. First turn i will thunder wave, as they attack, switch or lay down hazards. I have never had my rotom-w taunted, as most people are used to rotoms throwing around powerful hydro pumps and volt switches. After paralyzing them, i will lay down my screens, and volt switch out to a sweeper who counters whatever is out.
Mid / late game i bring this in on things that would feel immediately threatened by it (when it's set isn't revealed yet), that will most likely switch, like on a gliscor, or politoed or something. Then thunderwave if i see no electric immune pokemon, or just get my screens up again. After which i can volturn into a counter, such as scizor, who will appreciate being able to outspeed a paralyzed opponent. With 252 HP ev's + it's good natural defense, can take hits well. The sp.atk investment is for doing extra damage to physical walls like skarmory, who would otherwise troll my team. Gives nice resistances for my sweepers, and scizor / haxorus resist grass moves aimed at it.
Along with scizor and uxie forms a volt-turn-memento combo for gaining switch advantage.
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“Reaper” Haxorus; (Mold Breaker) @ Lum Berry
+126 Hp / +252 Atk / +132 Speed / Adamant Nature
Dragon Dance / Earthquake / Outrage / Taunt
This thing is literally the grim reaper of pokemon. When shiny is black, and if sent out after screens and memento it will get a free dragon dance on the switch. 220 speed allows me to beat jolly/timid base 80's before dance. Now a full hp +1/+2 attack Adamant +1/+2 speed haxorus with mold breaker behind screens protected by lum berry is going to do some damage, maybe even put the opponent in an unrecoverable position right off the bat.
With mold breaker, levitating pokemon like bronzong that might of had a hope of walling it will get destroyed by earthquake. Same for quagsire's unaware. If they switch in an obvious phaser like skarmory as i dance, i will just taunt it and get a second dance, in which case it's gg.
Otherwise if i am using him as a lead against a pokemon like breloom, the opponent will either switch out giving me a +1/+1 haxorus, or use spore, which lum berry will cancel.
Ice moves aimed at haxorus are resisted by scizor and rotom-w, dragon moves resisted by scizor.
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“Knives” Scizor: (Technician) @ Iron Plate
+98 Hp / +160 Sp.def / +252 Atk / Adamant Nature
Swords Dance / Bullet Punch / Super Power / U-Turn
This is my variation on the swords dance scizor set. Resists all three of uxie's weaknesses, so is usually safe to switch into. Though not as strong as choice band bullet punch, unboosted can still do some damage. One swords dance will make it two shot anything without decent bulk / resisting it.
Leftovers gives me a bit of longevity while setting up, while sacraficing a bit of power. U turn gives me a means of breaking dragonite multiscale, or injuring opposing haxorus early on, as well as scouting opponent's scizor counters, so i know what to kill before sweeping with him mid-lategame.
160 sp.def is enough to give me good defenses on both sides, and under screens am quite bulky.
Bullet punch / superpower is rather obvious. If i can manage two swords dances, scizor is very capable of sweeping with bullet punches.
Synergises well with tyranitar, setting up on terrakion and banded scizors trying to take it out, as well as tyranitar taking fire attacks aimed at below 80% hp scizor.
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“RaveBoss” Tyranitar; (Sand Stream) @ Life Orb
+54 Hp / +252 Attack / +204 Speed / Jolly Nature
Dragon Dance / Stone Edge / Earthquake / Substitute
My weather inducer, as well as dragon dance sweeper. I switch him in on something he resists after screens, and depending on their team i will either sub or dragon dance. If i see potential phasers i will dragon dance to get a sizeable chunk out of them before they phase me. If i see terrakion or scizor, (common tyranitar counters) i will sub up. Now with a sub up, i am at the advantage, as life orb earthquake will one shot terrakion, and stone edge has a 65% chance to 1 shot 252 hp scizor. After which if he doesnt die, i can just earth quake or stone edge to finish, and under screens bullet punch will do about 34-47% damage.
Substitute is also good for status if i see it comming, and easing prediction. With just a single dance, will do a lot of damage to anything that does not resist quake-edge.
Generally easy to switch into from either uxie or rotom-w as they have resistances to it's weaknesses, (not grass however). Then landorus can easily come in on most things switched into tyranitar, and abuse the sand boost.
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“SandKing: Landorus; (Sand Force) @ Life Orb
+4 Hp / +252 Atk / +252 Speed / Jolly Nature
Swords Dance / Earthquake / Stone Edge / Hp. ICE
Has nice immunities, and gives good coverage with edge-quake, and hp ice for gliscors who might try to wall me. In ideal circumstances max attack jolly landorus (trolling all 100 speed base pokemon with it's 101 base speed), with a swords dance, life orb boost and sand force boost will absolutely wreck things. Given it's decently bulky hp, behind screens wont be one shot unless hit by an ice move off decent attack. Earthquake effectively becomes: 100 base power x 1.5 stab x 1.33 sand force x 1.3 life orb x 2.0 swords dance = 259 power
Needs tyranitar's sandstream, whom with which is resistant / is immune to most of tyranitar's weaknesses baring water, making it an easy followup after tyranitar. Can switch into rotom-w, scizor, and or haxorus respectively to take ice/water moves.
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(Building Process / After Thoughts)
While i have tried many styles of teams, i found myself to prefer offensive, because of the pressure it puts on my opponent, and doesn't really force me to over predict. With this team i usually get a good idea of how to play according to what their team is from team preview.
For this team i decided i wanted to make an offensive team with very powerful / fast sweepers, all on one attacking spectrum, therefore making their counters to attacks from the other side death fodder. I chose all physical attackers as i found more variety there, in the form of powerful setup sweepers. Now ontop of being good sweepers, i wanted them to be bulky pokemon who can take hits and continue sweeping in the face of priority moves, and scarfers. To cement this i made it a dual screen offense team that generally puts massive pressure on the opponent right off the bat.
If im lucky my opponent will mistake my team in preview for a common variation of most sandstorm teams, and not realize until ive got my screens up what kind of team im running. With screens up the opponent is forced to play very specific counters to cripple, or take out my sweepers, so it's easy to see what they are going to do. Considering this, i made each of the sweepers able to counter their most common checks.
Ie; Haxorus; opponents often use status or phasing to stop a haxorus under screens, so i can absorb status with lum, as well as taunt phasers. And still do good amounts of damage. Another worry would be priority moves, or stalling out his life orb, but without recoil and screens up is less of a worry.
Tyranitar setting up dances is countered by scarf terrakion, scizor bullet punching, or a physical wall that can phase. Now depending on which i saw during preview i will dance up if they have walls like hippodon or skarmory, and sub up if they have terrakion or scizor. Using sub i can avoid being killed by priority / being outsped by scarfers, and hit back with appropriate coverage move.
Scizor; the opponents most reliable way to kill a scizor under screens is to hit it with a fire type move, by the likes of magnezone, heatran, infernape, volcarona etc. So what i do is bring in scizor on something it counters and u turn immediately as they switch into their fire move user, then set up on it with another sweeper. Once that is taken care of scizor can be brought out again to sweep.
Landorus's set isn't particularly original, but still manages to take care of one of it's otherwise biggest nemesis's gliscor with a life orbed hp ice, and destroy everything else with EdgeQuake due to its speed and bulk under screens.
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Well that's it, give me some feedback, i probably missed some details, but hopefully this is enough to give you readers a decent understanding of my team and how i play it. I appreciate any insight for improving it!
A 5th gen team using reflect and light screen and offensive synergy to overwhelm the opponent. 2 Dual screeners, 4 physical setup sweepers. Has sandstorm weather inducer, along with stealth rocks, and volt-turn-memento for switch advantage. Zero stealth rocks weaknesses, 3 spikes immunities, 4 toxic spikes immunities, two status abosrbers and really good defensive synergy.
Uxie / Rotom-w / Haxorus / Scizor / Tyranitar / Landorus
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“MindBlast” Uxie; (Levitate) @ Light Clay
+252 Hp / +20 Def / +236 Speed / Timid Nature (zero attack iv's)
Stealth Rock / Reflect / Light Screen / Memento
I don't really care about hazards, status or opponents setting up. With uxie i set up both screens in appropriate order, rocks and then memento for a safe switch. (If they use something like dragon dance first turn, ill just get up just one screen, and switch into a counter) 90% of the time i lead with uxie, the exceptions being if i see in preview a potential fast taunter like mew, azelf or aerodactyl. Or against a sleep inducer like breloom. For the prior i lead rotom-w and the latter i lead Haxorus.
The reason for timid+zero attack ev's is that as i am not attacking anyways, in the off chance i am confused i wont self damage as much.
With memento and screens they are forced to switch as they are effectively -4 attack. I usually memento into haxorus, because it has the most potential to do damage. In the rare case that i am saving uxie for later, i switch into a counter that resists whatever is out. Ie. scizor, then u turn to see what their scizor counter is.
I have seen many people using memento alongside u turn, which i find rather redundant, as memento gives you switch advantage anyways, and uxies u turn damage wont do much of anything. With the addition of a second screener in rotom-w, i don't have to worry about saving uxie for later, once it's done it's job.
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“FrostNova”: Rotom-w; (Levitate) @ Light Clay
+252 Hp / +172 Sp.Atk / +88 Speed / Modest Nature (zero attack iv's)
Volt Switch / Reflect / Light Screen / Thunder Wave
This effectively works as a scout, and a second screener, although not as good as uxie, as it lacks memento. If i see a potential taunter on the opponent's team i lead this instead of uxie. First turn i will thunder wave, as they attack, switch or lay down hazards. I have never had my rotom-w taunted, as most people are used to rotoms throwing around powerful hydro pumps and volt switches. After paralyzing them, i will lay down my screens, and volt switch out to a sweeper who counters whatever is out.
Mid / late game i bring this in on things that would feel immediately threatened by it (when it's set isn't revealed yet), that will most likely switch, like on a gliscor, or politoed or something. Then thunderwave if i see no electric immune pokemon, or just get my screens up again. After which i can volturn into a counter, such as scizor, who will appreciate being able to outspeed a paralyzed opponent. With 252 HP ev's + it's good natural defense, can take hits well. The sp.atk investment is for doing extra damage to physical walls like skarmory, who would otherwise troll my team. Gives nice resistances for my sweepers, and scizor / haxorus resist grass moves aimed at it.
Along with scizor and uxie forms a volt-turn-memento combo for gaining switch advantage.
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“Reaper” Haxorus; (Mold Breaker) @ Lum Berry
+126 Hp / +252 Atk / +132 Speed / Adamant Nature
Dragon Dance / Earthquake / Outrage / Taunt
This thing is literally the grim reaper of pokemon. When shiny is black, and if sent out after screens and memento it will get a free dragon dance on the switch. 220 speed allows me to beat jolly/timid base 80's before dance. Now a full hp +1/+2 attack Adamant +1/+2 speed haxorus with mold breaker behind screens protected by lum berry is going to do some damage, maybe even put the opponent in an unrecoverable position right off the bat.
With mold breaker, levitating pokemon like bronzong that might of had a hope of walling it will get destroyed by earthquake. Same for quagsire's unaware. If they switch in an obvious phaser like skarmory as i dance, i will just taunt it and get a second dance, in which case it's gg.
Otherwise if i am using him as a lead against a pokemon like breloom, the opponent will either switch out giving me a +1/+1 haxorus, or use spore, which lum berry will cancel.
Ice moves aimed at haxorus are resisted by scizor and rotom-w, dragon moves resisted by scizor.
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“Knives” Scizor: (Technician) @ Iron Plate
+98 Hp / +160 Sp.def / +252 Atk / Adamant Nature
Swords Dance / Bullet Punch / Super Power / U-Turn
This is my variation on the swords dance scizor set. Resists all three of uxie's weaknesses, so is usually safe to switch into. Though not as strong as choice band bullet punch, unboosted can still do some damage. One swords dance will make it two shot anything without decent bulk / resisting it.
Leftovers gives me a bit of longevity while setting up, while sacraficing a bit of power. U turn gives me a means of breaking dragonite multiscale, or injuring opposing haxorus early on, as well as scouting opponent's scizor counters, so i know what to kill before sweeping with him mid-lategame.
160 sp.def is enough to give me good defenses on both sides, and under screens am quite bulky.
Bullet punch / superpower is rather obvious. If i can manage two swords dances, scizor is very capable of sweeping with bullet punches.
Synergises well with tyranitar, setting up on terrakion and banded scizors trying to take it out, as well as tyranitar taking fire attacks aimed at below 80% hp scizor.
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“RaveBoss” Tyranitar; (Sand Stream) @ Life Orb
+54 Hp / +252 Attack / +204 Speed / Jolly Nature
Dragon Dance / Stone Edge / Earthquake / Substitute
My weather inducer, as well as dragon dance sweeper. I switch him in on something he resists after screens, and depending on their team i will either sub or dragon dance. If i see potential phasers i will dragon dance to get a sizeable chunk out of them before they phase me. If i see terrakion or scizor, (common tyranitar counters) i will sub up. Now with a sub up, i am at the advantage, as life orb earthquake will one shot terrakion, and stone edge has a 65% chance to 1 shot 252 hp scizor. After which if he doesnt die, i can just earth quake or stone edge to finish, and under screens bullet punch will do about 34-47% damage.
Substitute is also good for status if i see it comming, and easing prediction. With just a single dance, will do a lot of damage to anything that does not resist quake-edge.
Generally easy to switch into from either uxie or rotom-w as they have resistances to it's weaknesses, (not grass however). Then landorus can easily come in on most things switched into tyranitar, and abuse the sand boost.
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“SandKing: Landorus; (Sand Force) @ Life Orb
+4 Hp / +252 Atk / +252 Speed / Jolly Nature
Swords Dance / Earthquake / Stone Edge / Hp. ICE
Has nice immunities, and gives good coverage with edge-quake, and hp ice for gliscors who might try to wall me. In ideal circumstances max attack jolly landorus (trolling all 100 speed base pokemon with it's 101 base speed), with a swords dance, life orb boost and sand force boost will absolutely wreck things. Given it's decently bulky hp, behind screens wont be one shot unless hit by an ice move off decent attack. Earthquake effectively becomes: 100 base power x 1.5 stab x 1.33 sand force x 1.3 life orb x 2.0 swords dance = 259 power
Needs tyranitar's sandstream, whom with which is resistant / is immune to most of tyranitar's weaknesses baring water, making it an easy followup after tyranitar. Can switch into rotom-w, scizor, and or haxorus respectively to take ice/water moves.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Building Process / After Thoughts)
While i have tried many styles of teams, i found myself to prefer offensive, because of the pressure it puts on my opponent, and doesn't really force me to over predict. With this team i usually get a good idea of how to play according to what their team is from team preview.
For this team i decided i wanted to make an offensive team with very powerful / fast sweepers, all on one attacking spectrum, therefore making their counters to attacks from the other side death fodder. I chose all physical attackers as i found more variety there, in the form of powerful setup sweepers. Now ontop of being good sweepers, i wanted them to be bulky pokemon who can take hits and continue sweeping in the face of priority moves, and scarfers. To cement this i made it a dual screen offense team that generally puts massive pressure on the opponent right off the bat.
If im lucky my opponent will mistake my team in preview for a common variation of most sandstorm teams, and not realize until ive got my screens up what kind of team im running. With screens up the opponent is forced to play very specific counters to cripple, or take out my sweepers, so it's easy to see what they are going to do. Considering this, i made each of the sweepers able to counter their most common checks.
Ie; Haxorus; opponents often use status or phasing to stop a haxorus under screens, so i can absorb status with lum, as well as taunt phasers. And still do good amounts of damage. Another worry would be priority moves, or stalling out his life orb, but without recoil and screens up is less of a worry.
Tyranitar setting up dances is countered by scarf terrakion, scizor bullet punching, or a physical wall that can phase. Now depending on which i saw during preview i will dance up if they have walls like hippodon or skarmory, and sub up if they have terrakion or scizor. Using sub i can avoid being killed by priority / being outsped by scarfers, and hit back with appropriate coverage move.
Scizor; the opponents most reliable way to kill a scizor under screens is to hit it with a fire type move, by the likes of magnezone, heatran, infernape, volcarona etc. So what i do is bring in scizor on something it counters and u turn immediately as they switch into their fire move user, then set up on it with another sweeper. Once that is taken care of scizor can be brought out again to sweep.
Landorus's set isn't particularly original, but still manages to take care of one of it's otherwise biggest nemesis's gliscor with a life orbed hp ice, and destroy everything else with EdgeQuake due to its speed and bulk under screens.
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Well that's it, give me some feedback, i probably missed some details, but hopefully this is enough to give you readers a decent understanding of my team and how i play it. I appreciate any insight for improving it!
