A Figure in the Sand (Sand Stall)

[Arc Tech]

After reading the sand discussion thread on the UU forums, I decided I wanted to try out my own sand team. It's been going pretty good so far (ranked in the 70's with nearly 1.2k rating), but I noticed that I have some trouble with water types and above all grass types. So here's the team:

(Hippopotas) (M) @ Eviolite
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
- Slack Off
- Earthquake

Pretty standard, can’t really have a sand team without him. The only thing I’m wondering is should I run more special defence- 400 def is nice, but only 180 sp def isn’t. I’m often at a disadvantage at the beginning against sp attackers (particulary roserade).

Rhyperior (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Solid Rock
EVs: 232 HP / 16 Atk / 16 Def / 244 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Megahorn
- Dragon Tail

Powerhouse. EQ+Se for coverage. His megahorn 2hko’s deoxys-D on average, and is my quickest answer to Xatu. Evs, sand, and solid rock even let him take specially based water and grass type attacks like a champ. Dragon tail is mostly filler, especially since I find I have trouble getting hazards up too often.

Omastar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Shell Armor
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Haze
- Hydro Pump
- AncientPower

My spiker. Haze is so I don’t get raped by smashpass (Hippo and Mandi are ohko’d by gorebyss). Hydro pump is for Stab and power, ancient power if mostly for Kyurem. I don’t really know what else to put in that spot, since toxic spikes is illegal with haze, and I wasn’t using knock off (and wished I had ancient power once vs kyu).

Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Taunt

Should I run more special defense on this guy? It would help greatly against gorebyss, but otherwise I’d rather have physical defense. I went physical over special because of 120 BP stab and a higher base stat. Taunt prevents toxics, phasing, and recovery.

Suicune @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Surf
- Sleep Talk
- Calm Mind
- Rest

Standard Crocune. Not much to say about this guy except he’s probably my best answer to kyurem.

Dusknoir (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
- Seismic Toss
- Skill Swap

He’s mainly here for spinblocking. Pain split and wow are pretty standard, Seismic toss over nightshade because he is immune to counter but not mirror coat (wobs), skill swap is in case of a last pokemon sigilyph, who would otherwise set up with ease on the rest of the team bar suicune, against whom it is a game of who crits first? Should I replace with Eviolite Dusclops? Better defenses, but I don’t want to lose leftovers recovery, mostly because of sand.




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Overall, the big problems are a grass weakness (Roserade in particular), who only mandibuzz resists, and having difficulty finding a window for hippowodn to set up SR, and Omastar spikes. All slow pokemon with no priority is a downer as well.

I am considering Crustle over Omastar, who would help with the grass weakness, and may be able to get spikes up easier. The problem is then I don’t have an answer to gorebyss.

The lack of a spinner also hurts, but I really don’t see a way to fit in hitmontop very well (Donphan is a no thanks to common weaknesses). I would like a steel type to help deal with kyu, but Lairon and Aggron aren’t as powerful quite as powerful as Rhyperior (Head Smash but no EQ stab, and no megahorn for deoxys-D), and have worse quad weaks IMO (fighting and ground vs water and grass). The upside would be that my team handles those two types better. Focus Blast from Kyu is the reason that I pretty much decided against Lairon/Aggron.

 

[Splitr]

isn't suicine OU?

 

[toy Soldier]

@ SPlitr
No

Hide

http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3446903

@OT
Can you expand your descriptions? Especially on Suicune, Mandibuzz and Hippopotas.

Maybe Stoutland would be a good revenge killer. You know that he has Sand Rush?

You have 4 troublesome grass weaknesses. You can switch suicune's calm mind for Roar. Now you can handle smashpass. Omastar isn't needed than. You can replace it with Roserade. She can set Spikes up and has no Grass weakness.

 

[kc4444]

Maybe a Cradily can take Omastar's spot. It isn't weak to grass either. And you can use Curse/Recover/Stone Edge/Seed Bomb, and it will tank because it can't get phazed, and 1.5x sp.def boost in sandstorm also helps.

 

[fatty]

make Mandibuzz a SpD variant. You say that you have trouble with Grass types, and Mandibuzz walls Roserade, Shaymin, and most other special attacking Grasses with the right spread. You'll be relying on Mandibuzz a lot, so i'd say make it as Specially bulky as possible.

Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SDef / 8 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Taunt

 

[badabing]

Haven't even tried the UU meta yet so I won't rate, but I'm questioning the value of EQ on hippo. The steady damage from TOXIC is usually better on Evo pokes, considering their weak atk output. Roar prevents free subs. gl I can't wait to play this

 

[extra]

roserade > omastar solves your grass / water weakness somewhat and also lets you spike (as well as absorbing toxic spikes which wreck you otherwise). means less defence against smash pass but it's easy to outspeed gorebyss (only hits 223) so if you run sleep powder or something you should be OK, just don't let them set up (or run roar on cune). it also means you have a bit more trouble with kyurem but if you're actually trying to check kyurem with omastar then you're already a bit fucked.