This is this random sand team I made and it has a lot of weird sets so I'm totally aware of that, but for some reason I have a lot of success with it and I thought I'd share
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Rock Slide
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
Obviously, we have ttar. Where there's a sand team, there's ttar. Bulky band setter to just set sand and pursuit trap psychic type threats. Also, has enough bulk to comfortably take a hydro pump from a non-max SpA rotom in the sand. Two dark STAB is actually good when you can predict the opponent going for a coverage move like focus blast. I try to keep him alive for as long as possible because my team LOVES that residual damage on the opponent.
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 52 Def / 208 SpD
Calm Nature
- Defog
- Nature's Madness
- Scald
- Taunt
Fini is here for a few reasons: Misty Surge, Taunt, and Defog. Having no speed isn't really a problem for fini, because the bulk I think makes up for it. Scald is nice STAB, and NM chips walls like ferro and skar. Defog is invaluable because of skarmory's 4-move-syndrome, and the Misty Surge helps the team out by keeping away burn and paralysis from the rest of the team, especially scizor. Also, taunt, which is a terribly under appreciated move, stops setup sweepers like shift gear magearna from totally destroying the team.
Skarmory @ Iapapa Berry
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
I love skarmory. Not only is it an insane physical wall, spikes setter, potential defogger, and a ground immunity, but it also can run toxic and rocks for further stall. (I really just needed a ground immunity, but the other stuff is very nice.) Like I may have mentioned earlier, skarmory LOVES the sand. Having free chip damage is always great, and having an immunity to it is a great bonus. The only problems that skarmory really can't handle are volcorona, magnezone, koko and victini, with fini hard checking volcorona and ttar the latter 2, (Assuming it's not dazzling gleam koko) but if magnet pull magnezone comes in, I basically have to activate sturdy and loose my berry, but I can whirlwind it, and I don't see magnezone as much as I used to.
Magearna @ Assault Vest
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 248 HP / 36 SpA / 224 SpD
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Fleur Cannon
- Focus Blast
- Flash Cannon
This set is one of the reasons that I fell in love with the assault vest. I really wanted fairy offense, and of course, I went with both a super strong special fairy attacker and an immunity to sand. I went with assault vest over heart swap or Z or any other setup set because this team needs to keep the little momentum it can keep for more than maybe 2 or 3 turns, and having access to both STAB moves and two coverage moves including voltturn without wasting a spot for a setup move just needed to happen. This also acts as a soft check for a few threats like special koko and protean gren.
(sry couldn't find a great sprite lol)
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 SpD
Impish Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Knock Off
Ah, Scizor, the main win con of this team. I originally wanted to have a mega scizor on a sand team, so here we are. Simply enough, SD, bullet punch, roost for recovery, and knock off instead of pursuit becuase I wanted to. Scizor usually comes in mid game to clean a few low health mon, but mostly sweeps late game. I wanted some special bulk because of his already great physical defense, so that explains that. I considered bug bite at first because it could steal berries of of mon like rotom, but I figured dark coverage seemed better for psychics because they typically don't run berries.
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power Ice
- U-turn
Eventually, it was going to come to this. I don't particularly enjoy using lando because of how literally over used (heh) it is, but there's a good for why that is. LANDO IS JUST THAT GOOD. It has two highly valuable immunities in some common offensive types being electric and ground, and can fulfuil tons of rolls with it's strength and decent natural bulk added to its great movepool. This is a defensive rock setter, since I figured I needed rocks, with lots of bulk investment and hp ice for other landos. He provides another ground immunity and an intimidater, which fits nicely as a reliable mawile and victini check for my team.
And that's it! This team may be weird, but trust me it can work very well if you play it right.
A few problems
- No Z
I know someone is going to mention this. Yes, Z moves are good, but this team simply doesn't really require them for it to do what it needs to do.
- Ferrothorn
Magearna is the only thing that can even soft check it, but I can usually use it as setup fodder for Scizor (but yes, it's still a problem)
- Celesteela
Again, another steel type that causes problems. I really don't have anything for it. Simple as that.
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Rock Slide
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
Obviously, we have ttar. Where there's a sand team, there's ttar. Bulky band setter to just set sand and pursuit trap psychic type threats. Also, has enough bulk to comfortably take a hydro pump from a non-max SpA rotom in the sand. Two dark STAB is actually good when you can predict the opponent going for a coverage move like focus blast. I try to keep him alive for as long as possible because my team LOVES that residual damage on the opponent.
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 52 Def / 208 SpD
Calm Nature
- Defog
- Nature's Madness
- Scald
- Taunt
Fini is here for a few reasons: Misty Surge, Taunt, and Defog. Having no speed isn't really a problem for fini, because the bulk I think makes up for it. Scald is nice STAB, and NM chips walls like ferro and skar. Defog is invaluable because of skarmory's 4-move-syndrome, and the Misty Surge helps the team out by keeping away burn and paralysis from the rest of the team, especially scizor. Also, taunt, which is a terribly under appreciated move, stops setup sweepers like shift gear magearna from totally destroying the team.
Skarmory @ Iapapa Berry
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
I love skarmory. Not only is it an insane physical wall, spikes setter, potential defogger, and a ground immunity, but it also can run toxic and rocks for further stall. (I really just needed a ground immunity, but the other stuff is very nice.) Like I may have mentioned earlier, skarmory LOVES the sand. Having free chip damage is always great, and having an immunity to it is a great bonus. The only problems that skarmory really can't handle are volcorona, magnezone, koko and victini, with fini hard checking volcorona and ttar the latter 2, (Assuming it's not dazzling gleam koko) but if magnet pull magnezone comes in, I basically have to activate sturdy and loose my berry, but I can whirlwind it, and I don't see magnezone as much as I used to.
Magearna @ Assault Vest
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 248 HP / 36 SpA / 224 SpD
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Fleur Cannon
- Focus Blast
- Flash Cannon
This set is one of the reasons that I fell in love with the assault vest. I really wanted fairy offense, and of course, I went with both a super strong special fairy attacker and an immunity to sand. I went with assault vest over heart swap or Z or any other setup set because this team needs to keep the little momentum it can keep for more than maybe 2 or 3 turns, and having access to both STAB moves and two coverage moves including voltturn without wasting a spot for a setup move just needed to happen. This also acts as a soft check for a few threats like special koko and protean gren.
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 SpD
Impish Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Knock Off
Ah, Scizor, the main win con of this team. I originally wanted to have a mega scizor on a sand team, so here we are. Simply enough, SD, bullet punch, roost for recovery, and knock off instead of pursuit becuase I wanted to. Scizor usually comes in mid game to clean a few low health mon, but mostly sweeps late game. I wanted some special bulk because of his already great physical defense, so that explains that. I considered bug bite at first because it could steal berries of of mon like rotom, but I figured dark coverage seemed better for psychics because they typically don't run berries.
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power Ice
- U-turn
Eventually, it was going to come to this. I don't particularly enjoy using lando because of how literally over used (heh) it is, but there's a good for why that is. LANDO IS JUST THAT GOOD. It has two highly valuable immunities in some common offensive types being electric and ground, and can fulfuil tons of rolls with it's strength and decent natural bulk added to its great movepool. This is a defensive rock setter, since I figured I needed rocks, with lots of bulk investment and hp ice for other landos. He provides another ground immunity and an intimidater, which fits nicely as a reliable mawile and victini check for my team.
And that's it! This team may be weird, but trust me it can work very well if you play it right.
A few problems
- No Z
I know someone is going to mention this. Yes, Z moves are good, but this team simply doesn't really require them for it to do what it needs to do.
- Ferrothorn
Magearna is the only thing that can even soft check it, but I can usually use it as setup fodder for Scizor (but yes, it's still a problem)
- Celesteela
Again, another steel type that causes problems. I really don't have anything for it. Simple as that.
