Sand Junk
Well "junk" is definitely how I would describe this team; not that it is necessarily bad, but it is crude and somewhat slapped together. I am the kind of person that needs to make every member immune to Sand; I would struggle to make a good OU sand team, you can imagine. This is, with some changes, the first team I ran in the BH tier, and being somewhat bored of it it's getting retired. Let's dive right in. If you aren't familiar with Balanced Hackmons, I encourage you to check out the thread in the Other Metagames subforum.
Dialga @ Leftovers
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Bold Nature
IVs: null Atk / null SAtk
- Substitute
- Spore
- Stealth Rock
- Baton Pass
This Dialga functions as a highly conservative scout. First turn sub is my prefered move to block Spore, which allows my safe second turn Spore to check for Magic Bounce. These days I find this is too passive, and fails hard against Contrary leads. It's even subpar against those brave souls that use first turn hazards blindly without so much as Mold Breaker to back them up. Though I cannot commend such loose play, I must admire the guts. Magic Coat or a switch in fear of Contrary is what I like to see the opponent do turn 1. Priority Baton Pass is quite good for scouting switches as well as passing 101 subs. Bold is used to increase Dialga's ability to tank Extreme Speed and other normal moves from Slaking/Regigigas. Dialga's typing is pretty good, although pokes in this meta generally carry more focused coverage moves and Ground/Fighting is still common; Bold helps to not get instantly murdered by such moves. While Dialga has no attacking options, Prankster+Spore+Sub+Leftovers+Sandstorm is, surprisingly, capable of stalling some sweepers to death. If only I could lead with Dialga AND get SS up, I would be less weak to first turn Superpower.
Regirock @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Impish Nature
IVs: null SAtk
- Skill Swap
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Heal Order
What you see is what you get; in fact I posted this set a while ago. Sand will continue to be good as long as enough people use Sturdy Shedinja, and probably afterwards too, (inevitably people will catch on and stop using it). Skill Swap + Spikes is a handy combo to bypass Magic Bounce, since this team doesn't carry Mold Breaker. It also puts a limit on those dang Contrarians. Gastro Acid and Toxic Spikes could work too; Skill Swap is unblockable, but only works once per switch, so it's not so good against teams with more than one Bouncer. Considering two options are already support, and weather inducers need longevity, Heal Order was added rather than a strong attack. Rapid Spin went here, as it didn't fit anywhere better. Amusingly, I killed a 3% Lugia that was set to receive a Wish, which was quite crucial as both Regigigas and Giratina were dead. Don't underestimate Regirock's power! Who the hell do you think it is!? It's is the Spin that will....never mind.
Depending on how frequently one sees Leaf Storm or Drizzle, whether one wants to make room for EQ/Nature Power, and how much one values the item slot, Rhydon may be better. Shuckle has a mostly better typing; the rock weakness and massive pain of getting Chansey'd are things that turn me off Shuckle. (Seriously, consider Chansey's HP + Shuckle's defenses + 50% SpD from Sandstorm + Eviolite. That is not getting 2HKO'd by this team, ever. I'd have to stall out the PP every time, spinning into Spikes, back and forth...ugh).
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: null Atk / null SAtk
- Cosmic Power/Minimize
- Substitute
- Spore
- Baton Pass
Mandatory Magic Bounce. It really is contender for best ability, as it turns the two best moves, Spore and [Hazards], into liabilities, not to mention a host of other support moves. Being a dragon resist makes this Jirachi one of the hardest counters to Copycat Prankster phazers, subbing to block Dragon Tail. Cosmic Power is the more reliable pass, but Minimize has a higher expected return: 1 Minimize = Bulk+67% (on average), while 1 CP = Bulk +50%. Minimize also protects the recipient of the pass from Whirlwind, Spore, etc, while Cosmic Power cannot. Still, CP caps at +300% bulk, as opposed to Minimize's +200% bulk (on average), and doesn't carry that parenthetical which is so off-putting to conservative players.
The first three pokemon try to establish a hazard lead while scouting out the opposing team. It works pretty well against balanced or slower teams, but is weak to certain types of early aggression, such as Magic Bounce Sweepers, or Contrary + Lum.
Groudon @ Lum Berry
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Impish Nature
IVs: null SAtk
- Nature Power
- Teeter Dance
- Heart Swap
- Milk Drink
Not the best in the world, but it does a specific job. Prankster Nature Power is standard and essentially the biggest reason to use Groudon at all. Teeter Dance has three advantages over Spore: 1 Not reflectable or Sap Sippered; 2 Not blocked by non-volatile status like poison; 3 can deal damage. It's kind of like Minimize v. Cosmic Power; one depends on luck, but can do things the other can't. Lum Berry is mainly a holdover from the days I used Spore and it would always bounce back in my face (which motivated the Sub/Spore combo you see on the other pokes here), but it still has value, notably for getting past T Spikes once. Once you've committed to Prankster, Heart Swap is always something to consider. Here it's crucial, as it is the only check to set up sweepers, the previously noted flaw of this team, but somehow it works without Unaware or Imposter for backup. Milk Drink because such a critical check must stay alive and it's funny to think about Groudon chugging milk (and for Imprision, I guess).
Regigigigigigigas (Regigigas) @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
IVs: null SAtk
- Head Charge
- Flare Blitz
- Outrage
- ExtremeSpeed
Regi>Slaking. Regi has +17% SpD, while Slaking has +11% Def. In the age of Pure Power this would make Slaking much better, but special attackers have made a big comeback. In any case Groudon is already able to handle physical attacks. Normal/Fire/Dragon gives pretty good coverage. Giratina is usually the answer to Regi/Slaking, but Outrage 2HKOs (Dragon Claw and Crunch only 3HKO, of course). The only hope to wall it without setting up is something like Flash Fire Escavalier, though even that does not like Head Charge one bit.
Very early I ran Poison Heal+Toxic Orb+Facade. However, Life Orb Head Charge is stronger, as are the other moves, doesn't need to activate the orb, and can use Flare Blitz freely. Additionally, hazards are no problem. (That deserves a stronger lead than "Additionally". It is HUGE.) The downside, of course, is the vulnerability to Spore and the lack of recovery, but it's worth it. This is the most powerful no-drawback attacker in the metagame (other than opportunity cost), and backed up with a passed sub, it becomes very hard to force it out without taking a casualty.
Giratina @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: null Atk
- Spacial Rend
- Searing Shot
- Tail Glow
- Substitute
A most unlikely looking sweeper. My very first Sand Rush sweeper was Mewtwo, but it quickly became obvious that it was too frail and unnecessarily fast. Well, what pokemon is bulkier than Giratina? Tail Glow and good two move coverage renders the low SpA moot, and the immunity to Extreme Speed is an invaluable edge over other sweepers. Spacial Rend>Dragon Pulse. Accuracy and PP are nice, but the average damage output is much lower. Searing shot is the best special Fire move available with perfect accuracy, good BP, and a nice 30% burn chance. Sand Rush outspeeds Deoxys-S and cancels SS damage. The result is a pokemon with impeccable bulk, speed, and offense that closes out the games Regigigas can't. Sub does it's usual good work blocking status and Imposters. It's unfortunate that the team's spinblocker has no recovery or support options, but Giratina can straight up kill plenty of spinners, and most of the time you have little chance to block the first spin of the match unless you recognize the opponent's team. The PP seems shaky, but I haven't run out yet.
Regigigas and Giratina have decent synergy, despite the redundant offensive coverage typewise. They hit opposite sides of the spectrum, and Normal + Ghost has always been a nice combo to have.
That's the team. Like I say I'm retiring it to try new things, but I still look forward to suggestions with interest. I am aware of the problems with aggressive first turn plans, set-up sweepers that beat Groudon and can get past Spore, Toxic Spikes, and, uh, Ground attacks...and three pokemon that can't attack, and another that can't hit Lugia...how did this hit #1 again?
For my part, hopefully I stirred up some interest in an unusual tier. While not the totally unknown frontier it once was, it's still a veritable Wild West. New sets continue to be discovered, and it will certainly be a fresh experience for any veterans of OU, UU, and even Ubers. Oh, I have seen Ubers legal teams go down in flames in this vicious meta without Wifi or Sleep Clause. So many poor Pressure Deoxys slaughtered. Fools rush in where Ubers fear to tread; make sure to know what you're in for first, then prepare yourself for one of the most creative and power-crazy metas around! You may be the one to discover the next big threat, abusive combo, or robust counter.
Well "junk" is definitely how I would describe this team; not that it is necessarily bad, but it is crude and somewhat slapped together. I am the kind of person that needs to make every member immune to Sand; I would struggle to make a good OU sand team, you can imagine. This is, with some changes, the first team I ran in the BH tier, and being somewhat bored of it it's getting retired. Let's dive right in. If you aren't familiar with Balanced Hackmons, I encourage you to check out the thread in the Other Metagames subforum.
Dialga @ Leftovers
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Bold Nature
IVs: null Atk / null SAtk
- Substitute
- Spore
- Stealth Rock
- Baton Pass
This Dialga functions as a highly conservative scout. First turn sub is my prefered move to block Spore, which allows my safe second turn Spore to check for Magic Bounce. These days I find this is too passive, and fails hard against Contrary leads. It's even subpar against those brave souls that use first turn hazards blindly without so much as Mold Breaker to back them up. Though I cannot commend such loose play, I must admire the guts. Magic Coat or a switch in fear of Contrary is what I like to see the opponent do turn 1. Priority Baton Pass is quite good for scouting switches as well as passing 101 subs. Bold is used to increase Dialga's ability to tank Extreme Speed and other normal moves from Slaking/Regigigas. Dialga's typing is pretty good, although pokes in this meta generally carry more focused coverage moves and Ground/Fighting is still common; Bold helps to not get instantly murdered by such moves. While Dialga has no attacking options, Prankster+Spore+Sub+Leftovers+Sandstorm is, surprisingly, capable of stalling some sweepers to death. If only I could lead with Dialga AND get SS up, I would be less weak to first turn Superpower.
Regirock @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Impish Nature
IVs: null SAtk
- Skill Swap
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Heal Order
What you see is what you get; in fact I posted this set a while ago. Sand will continue to be good as long as enough people use Sturdy Shedinja, and probably afterwards too, (inevitably people will catch on and stop using it). Skill Swap + Spikes is a handy combo to bypass Magic Bounce, since this team doesn't carry Mold Breaker. It also puts a limit on those dang Contrarians. Gastro Acid and Toxic Spikes could work too; Skill Swap is unblockable, but only works once per switch, so it's not so good against teams with more than one Bouncer. Considering two options are already support, and weather inducers need longevity, Heal Order was added rather than a strong attack. Rapid Spin went here, as it didn't fit anywhere better. Amusingly, I killed a 3% Lugia that was set to receive a Wish, which was quite crucial as both Regigigas and Giratina were dead. Don't underestimate Regirock's power! Who the hell do you think it is!? It's is the Spin that will....never mind.
Depending on how frequently one sees Leaf Storm or Drizzle, whether one wants to make room for EQ/Nature Power, and how much one values the item slot, Rhydon may be better. Shuckle has a mostly better typing; the rock weakness and massive pain of getting Chansey'd are things that turn me off Shuckle. (Seriously, consider Chansey's HP + Shuckle's defenses + 50% SpD from Sandstorm + Eviolite. That is not getting 2HKO'd by this team, ever. I'd have to stall out the PP every time, spinning into Spikes, back and forth...ugh).
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: null Atk / null SAtk
- Cosmic Power/Minimize
- Substitute
- Spore
- Baton Pass
Mandatory Magic Bounce. It really is contender for best ability, as it turns the two best moves, Spore and [Hazards], into liabilities, not to mention a host of other support moves. Being a dragon resist makes this Jirachi one of the hardest counters to Copycat Prankster phazers, subbing to block Dragon Tail. Cosmic Power is the more reliable pass, but Minimize has a higher expected return: 1 Minimize = Bulk+67% (on average), while 1 CP = Bulk +50%. Minimize also protects the recipient of the pass from Whirlwind, Spore, etc, while Cosmic Power cannot. Still, CP caps at +300% bulk, as opposed to Minimize's +200% bulk (on average), and doesn't carry that parenthetical which is so off-putting to conservative players.
The first three pokemon try to establish a hazard lead while scouting out the opposing team. It works pretty well against balanced or slower teams, but is weak to certain types of early aggression, such as Magic Bounce Sweepers, or Contrary + Lum.
Groudon @ Lum Berry
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Impish Nature
IVs: null SAtk
- Nature Power
- Teeter Dance
- Heart Swap
- Milk Drink
Not the best in the world, but it does a specific job. Prankster Nature Power is standard and essentially the biggest reason to use Groudon at all. Teeter Dance has three advantages over Spore: 1 Not reflectable or Sap Sippered; 2 Not blocked by non-volatile status like poison; 3 can deal damage. It's kind of like Minimize v. Cosmic Power; one depends on luck, but can do things the other can't. Lum Berry is mainly a holdover from the days I used Spore and it would always bounce back in my face (which motivated the Sub/Spore combo you see on the other pokes here), but it still has value, notably for getting past T Spikes once. Once you've committed to Prankster, Heart Swap is always something to consider. Here it's crucial, as it is the only check to set up sweepers, the previously noted flaw of this team, but somehow it works without Unaware or Imposter for backup. Milk Drink because such a critical check must stay alive and it's funny to think about Groudon chugging milk (and for Imprision, I guess).
Regigigigigigigas (Regigigas) @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
IVs: null SAtk
- Head Charge
- Flare Blitz
- Outrage
- ExtremeSpeed
Regi>Slaking. Regi has +17% SpD, while Slaking has +11% Def. In the age of Pure Power this would make Slaking much better, but special attackers have made a big comeback. In any case Groudon is already able to handle physical attacks. Normal/Fire/Dragon gives pretty good coverage. Giratina is usually the answer to Regi/Slaking, but Outrage 2HKOs (Dragon Claw and Crunch only 3HKO, of course). The only hope to wall it without setting up is something like Flash Fire Escavalier, though even that does not like Head Charge one bit.
Very early I ran Poison Heal+Toxic Orb+Facade. However, Life Orb Head Charge is stronger, as are the other moves, doesn't need to activate the orb, and can use Flare Blitz freely. Additionally, hazards are no problem. (That deserves a stronger lead than "Additionally". It is HUGE.) The downside, of course, is the vulnerability to Spore and the lack of recovery, but it's worth it. This is the most powerful no-drawback attacker in the metagame (other than opportunity cost), and backed up with a passed sub, it becomes very hard to force it out without taking a casualty.
Giratina @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: null Atk
- Spacial Rend
- Searing Shot
- Tail Glow
- Substitute
A most unlikely looking sweeper. My very first Sand Rush sweeper was Mewtwo, but it quickly became obvious that it was too frail and unnecessarily fast. Well, what pokemon is bulkier than Giratina? Tail Glow and good two move coverage renders the low SpA moot, and the immunity to Extreme Speed is an invaluable edge over other sweepers. Spacial Rend>Dragon Pulse. Accuracy and PP are nice, but the average damage output is much lower. Searing shot is the best special Fire move available with perfect accuracy, good BP, and a nice 30% burn chance. Sand Rush outspeeds Deoxys-S and cancels SS damage. The result is a pokemon with impeccable bulk, speed, and offense that closes out the games Regigigas can't. Sub does it's usual good work blocking status and Imposters. It's unfortunate that the team's spinblocker has no recovery or support options, but Giratina can straight up kill plenty of spinners, and most of the time you have little chance to block the first spin of the match unless you recognize the opponent's team. The PP seems shaky, but I haven't run out yet.
Regigigas and Giratina have decent synergy, despite the redundant offensive coverage typewise. They hit opposite sides of the spectrum, and Normal + Ghost has always been a nice combo to have.
That's the team. Like I say I'm retiring it to try new things, but I still look forward to suggestions with interest. I am aware of the problems with aggressive first turn plans, set-up sweepers that beat Groudon and can get past Spore, Toxic Spikes, and, uh, Ground attacks...and three pokemon that can't attack, and another that can't hit Lugia...how did this hit #1 again?
For my part, hopefully I stirred up some interest in an unusual tier. While not the totally unknown frontier it once was, it's still a veritable Wild West. New sets continue to be discovered, and it will certainly be a fresh experience for any veterans of OU, UU, and even Ubers. Oh, I have seen Ubers legal teams go down in flames in this vicious meta without Wifi or Sleep Clause. So many poor Pressure Deoxys slaughtered. Fools rush in where Ubers fear to tread; make sure to know what you're in for first, then prepare yourself for one of the most creative and power-crazy metas around! You may be the one to discover the next big threat, abusive combo, or robust counter.
