A super duper Sandstorm Team!!! click here!!!

[november1093]

This is a sandstorm team, but before I make it I want to make sure its right. I don't want to make an entire team just so someone who is 10 times smarter than me tell me that I need to change something that involves starting over on something. So here is my team at first look.

Tyranitar @ Iron Ball
Ability: sandstream
Nature: Relaxed
EV: 252 HP/104 Atk/148 Def
-Stealth Rock
-Fling
-Rock Slide/Stone Edge
-Earthquake

I know what you are thinking. This is an odd set. What kind of person makes Tyranitar Defensive, and who in there right mind would use fling. I would. I love deciet and try to use it alot. This is just another lead though. I get sandstorm going and SR up. The reason I made T-tar relaxed is because of Abamasnow. Other than that, if my opponent is is resistant to Dark I use EQ or my undecided Rock move. If they aren't I fling for HUGE damage. I cant remember the exact base power of fling with iron ball, but I do remember it is a s*** load when backed with STAB. Then, if T-tar does take out another pokemon, whoopy, but its job is done. It can stick around for a while with the EVs. Most people overlook T-tars impresive Defenses. Plus, its Special Defence is further boosted by SS. I personally like the set, but if you experts know some lead that is better (AND NOT DD T-tar) then I am open to any suggested sets.

Cradily @ Leftovers
Ability: Suction Cups
Nature: Sassy
EVs:252 HP/136 Sp.Def/60 Atk/56 Sp.Atk
-Recover
-Toxic
-Grass Knot
-Rock Slide

My special Wall. Its Special Defence is boosted really high by SS. Also you might be wodering why I made this thing a mixed Attacker. I felt like something as week as Cradily should have a proper tool to target the opponents weaker Defence. That, and I wanted to not be bothered with a stupid swampert roaring me into submission. Now I stay in with suction cups and attack its weaker defence with Grass Knot. Rock Slide hits Salamence and other frail flying things pretty much all the time. It isnt limited to flying foes though. Toxic will be my main source of damage though. This set is walled by bronzong though. However I can just trap and murder him with Magnezone.

Metagross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Clear Body
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/16 HP/240 Spe
-Fire Punch
-Meteor Mash
-Earthquake
-Trick

This Metagross is my revenge killer. Ive used it before and it works pretty good and does not have a glareing x4 weakness to the most common move in the game like a certain legendary ancient volcano pokemon that will remain nameless. I use Trick for a last resort only. Then I just try to kill the thing off. I like to call this Metacide. It works pretty good even without the choice scart ,actually. However in doing this I sacrafice. my only revenge killer, or resort to using Lucario, who I like to keep hidden till Late Game of course. As for the moves, I use Fire Punch for Sizor. I use Meteor Mash for STAB. And I use earthquake because its an all around good move. Maybe I should replace trick for Explosion but normally you use Explosion as a last ditch move. With Vaporeon, that doesn't have to happen. I am still unsure.

Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 Sp.Atk
-Wish
-Protect
-Ice Beam
-Surf

Ah, good old Vaporeon. Look at how cute he is. At first I thought this thing should rot in Hell, but I have decided I really need a water resist. Then I thought: why not put all the crap on the train and go for a water immunity. I cringed at the thought, but decided to go with Vaporeon. It is a Wish Passer of course. I think this thing should also work if something went awry with Cradily. It helps keep my pokemon like Mangnezone and Metagross alive and happy. The main attraction is the water immunity and resists, though. Ice beam can take out dragons and Surf is self-explanitory STAB.

Mangnezone @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Magnet Pull
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 Spe/240 Sp.Atk/16 HP
-Magnet Rise
-Thunderbolt
-Flash Cannon
-Hidden Power (fire)

Yay!!! A mangnezone. I have never got the opertunity to use this thing and I have been wantin to try it out. I actually chose this because my team lacked special atack. I resorted to the Highest Special Attacking SS resistant thing I could think of- Magnezone. The thing has awsome Sp. Atk. I am not too sure about the moveset though. It can trap and kill steels no problem (except for fagot flying steel typed pokemon with shed shells that will remain nameless). They will die eventually, though. This thing can kill Gyarados, too. But yeah, I do need help with the moveset and I bet the EV spread could be better. Magnet Rise is to take out its main weakness. Thunderbolt and Flash Cannon are for STAB. HP fire is for Sizor and Forretress, should he ever show his mug around me.

Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Adamant
EVs:252 Spe/240 Atk/16 HP
-Sword Dance
-Close Combat
-Extremespeed
-Ice Punch

Well looky here. We have a Standard SD LO Lucario. This thing is one turn of set up for a great late game sweep. The sandstorm makes it even better, because focus sash users all die now. Oh how I loathe that stupid SD weavile. But yea this thing is awsome. I love Lucarios because all they need is one turn for turns more of fun. Sword Dance is self-explanitory. Close Combat is the second most powerful fighting move in the game. Extremespeed murders those faster, frailer threats. Ice punch is for a way to deal with the loathsome Gliscor as it come in on the switch, so it won't KO me with EQ. I am not sure if I should replace him with SubPetaya Empoleon, so you can tell me what you think about that.

 

[Bloo]

Your team may need to change a lot of pokemon around, because currently the team's combined synergy is poor. You are incredibly weak to Fighting and Ground, and if any sweeper boasting these types of moves, you will have a hard time dealing with them. You need to balance your types around to cover your other pokemon's weaknesses. For example, you have 4 Pokemon weak to Ground but no flying or levitating Pokemon; you have 4 Pokemon weak to Fighting but nothing that resists it or is immune to Fighting.

Lucario seems like a Pokemon that can work well on this team if you gave it some more support to allow it to sweep. What we need to find first is a Fighting and Ground immune Pokemon for your team. This Pokemon has to be able to help set up a sitatution for Lucario to set up a Swords Dance and possibly sweep while still having good synergy with your team. I'm thinking of Rotom-h over Magnezone. Rotom-h will give you that very important Fighting and Ground immunity that your team needs. In addition to that, it can help Lucario sweep. For example, Pursuit users such as Tyranitar love coming in on Rotom to kill it with Pursuit. As Rotom-h dies, Lucario now has a free chance to use Swords Dance on a locked Pursuit. Rotom-h also allows your team to change a bit more as I will explain in a bit. Why over Magnezone. Well, Rotom-h takes care of the Pokemon that Magnezone will be dealing with such as Scizor, Forrtress, and Bronzong.

Make Rotom-h a Choice Scarf user with ThunderBolt/Shadow Ball/ Overheat/Trick, 252 Speed/252 SpA/ 6 HP. Rotom checks many things with Choice Scarf such as Gyarados, Lucario, Metagross, Scizor, etc. Trick is an excellent move is used right as it can set the way for a free kill or free set up, which I will explain a bit more later on. ThunderBolt is for STAB and to hit bulky Water-types such as Gyarados. Shadow Ball is more STAB and allows Rotom to hit opposing Rotom's and Psychic-types. Overheat is for the likes of Metagross and Scizor.

Next off, I question the viability of your Tyranitar set. Fling becomes useless after you have gotten rid of Iron Ball with it. Tyranitar can be using other Dark attacks such as Crunch, which Tyranitar can use multiple times while attacking with force. I suggest making Tyranitar a Choice Bander as it will play a key role in aiding Lucario sweep. With Pursuit, Tyranitar gets rid of the Rotom formes, allowing Lucario to have an easier time sweeping. Tyranitar can also Pursuit Pokemon such as Zapdos, weakening them enough for Lucario to kill them. You could try a set of Choice Band with Pursuit, Crunch, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Adamant, 176 HP/252 Atk/ 88 Spe. The moveset is really standard so it does not really need explanation Basically throw your STAB Crunches and Pursuits around and use Stone Edge when their Rock resist is gone. Earthuake allows you to hit Fire-types like Heatran and Pokemon such as Lucario on the switch-in for super effective damage.

Onto Metagross. First off, Metagross does not get Fire Punch =p If you do decide to use Rotom-h with Choice Scarf, Metagross can serve as your lead as Rotom-h is the new revenge killer. Metagross makes for an effective lead as it can reliably set up SR with little problem most of the time while being bulky enough to not be KOed by most lead attacks. A simple set of Stealth Rock/Bullet Punch/Explosion/Earthquake, Occa Berry, Adamant, 252 HP / 236 Atk / 12 Def / 8 Spe should work. Occa Berry allows Metagross to take on Infernape and Heatran and kill them with Earthquake as you will survive their Fire attacks. SR for support, EQ for Fire-types and to add the coverage with Bullet Punch. Bullet Punch is for priority and STAB while Explosion lets you hit most Pokemon for extremely hard damage, killing them most of the time.

I was thinking of a Gyarados over Vaporeon possibly. Gyarados will give you a second Fighting resist and second Ground immunity. It can still deal with Infernape, Heatran while being able to take on Lucario, Machamp, Heracross, Scizor while providing a Water resist as well. It eases the amount of work Rotom-h has to do as well as Rotom-h cannot take on Scizor, Lucario, Infernape, etc all at once. You could try a set of Rest, Sleep Talk, Waterfall, Avalanche, 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD, Impish, Leftovers. This will give you a nice status absorber and will help you with that Fighting and Ground weakness.