[SET]
Sand Sweeper (Excadrill) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Sand Rush
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Iron Head / Rock Slide
[SET COMMENTS]
Excadrill is a niche but solid mid-game wallbreaker and late-game cleaner for sand offense teams. Swords Dance allows Excadrill to hit incredibly hard and crucially secure OHKOs against bulky offensive Pokemon such as Tera Ground Zacian and Arceus-Poison, which it could not do otherwise. Rapid Spin allows Excadrill to boost its Speed outside of sand and provide support for its teammates by removing entry hazards. Rock Slide gives it strong neutral EdgeQuake coverage. Air Balloon gives Excadrill many entry points against Earthquake and Earth Power from foes like Great Tusk and Landorus, respectively, which allows it to get off a Swords Dance more easily. Tera Flying acts very similarly, removing its Ground and Water weaknesses and flipping its Fighting weakness into a resistance, which is very valuable against Fighting-type coverage from the likes of Palafin-H, Deoxys, Mewtwo, and Zacian. Excadrill greatly appreciates automatic sand setting from its best teammate, Sand Stream Tyranitar. Excadrill also greatly appreciates Spikes support from Skarmory or Magearna, which gives it an easier time securing KOs. Excadrill is difficult to outspeed, but running Adamant means Booster Energy Iron Boulder and Roaring Moon can outspeed and KO it with Close Combat and Earthquake, respectively, so Excadrill appreciates the support of Clefable and Landorus-T, as they can take said attacks for Excadrill. In terms of defensive counterplay, Pokemon such as Great Tusk and Rillaboom can survive a hit from Excadrill and KO it back, and Skarmory, Corviknight, and Landorus-T all stop it in its tracks due to their solid natural bulk and typing, so consider teammates like Kyurem-W and Chi-Yu, which can form potent wallbreaking cores with Excadrill and create chances for late-game cleaning.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/imperialorder241.626445/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nap00.610920/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bella.567483/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rose.511181/
Sand Sweeper (Excadrill) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Sand Rush
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Iron Head / Rock Slide
[SET COMMENTS]
Excadrill is a niche but solid mid-game wallbreaker and late-game cleaner for sand offense teams. Swords Dance allows Excadrill to hit incredibly hard and crucially secure OHKOs against bulky offensive Pokemon such as Tera Ground Zacian and Arceus-Poison, which it could not do otherwise. Rapid Spin allows Excadrill to boost its Speed outside of sand and provide support for its teammates by removing entry hazards. Rock Slide gives it strong neutral EdgeQuake coverage. Air Balloon gives Excadrill many entry points against Earthquake and Earth Power from foes like Great Tusk and Landorus, respectively, which allows it to get off a Swords Dance more easily. Tera Flying acts very similarly, removing its Ground and Water weaknesses and flipping its Fighting weakness into a resistance, which is very valuable against Fighting-type coverage from the likes of Palafin-H, Deoxys, Mewtwo, and Zacian. Excadrill greatly appreciates automatic sand setting from its best teammate, Sand Stream Tyranitar. Excadrill also greatly appreciates Spikes support from Skarmory or Magearna, which gives it an easier time securing KOs. Excadrill is difficult to outspeed, but running Adamant means Booster Energy Iron Boulder and Roaring Moon can outspeed and KO it with Close Combat and Earthquake, respectively, so Excadrill appreciates the support of Clefable and Landorus-T, as they can take said attacks for Excadrill. In terms of defensive counterplay, Pokemon such as Great Tusk and Rillaboom can survive a hit from Excadrill and KO it back, and Skarmory, Corviknight, and Landorus-T all stop it in its tracks due to their solid natural bulk and typing, so consider teammates like Kyurem-W and Chi-Yu, which can form potent wallbreaking cores with Excadrill and create chances for late-game cleaning.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/imperialorder241.626445/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nap00.610920/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bella.567483/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rose.511181/
Last edited: