Chillin' in the Sandstorm (Ranked 1750+)

[Mr_Bramboy]

Hello Smogon. This is my first RMT so any feedback is appriciated. My name is Mr_Bramboy, IGN GetBootedKid. I will be showcasing this Sandstorm team that I made

Team Building

I started with Hippopotas, obviously for its Ability Sand Stream - which sets up permanent sand. I also use it as a Psysical Wall that can set up Stealth Rocks and Toxic things.

Then I added Sandshrew and Drilbur, because of their Abilities Sand Rush. Drilbur is a LO set, Sandshrew is more of a bulkier set with Eviolite.

I'm still convinced Archen would be LC Ubers if it wasn't for Defeatist. With max attack Adamant nature, Archen reaches the hightest attack of all LC without any boosts. It's even highter than the LC Ubers, minus Meditite with Pure Power. I deal with Defeatist with an Oran Berry and Acrobatics.

Abra is used as my revenge killer. Has a sash so it doesn't get 1hko'd and can ko in return. Pretty self-explainatory.

I used Lileep to cover my giant water weakness using Storm Drain. It is an offensive set with Giga Drain to deal with Water Types.

I had my Water weakness covered, but I noticed I was getting destroyed by Ice. Scarfed snover could come in and spam blizzards, 1hko'ing my entire team if Abra wasn't at full health. Scarfed Murkrow was the answer. When there's a water type out, I normally death fodder my Hippopotas because it most likely has already done its job, then I switch into either Drilbur or Sandshrew and kill it.

Well, that's my final team. Off to the details!

Team in details

Hippopotas @ Eviolite
Trait: Sand Stream
Level: 5
EVs: 212 Def / 180 SDef / 52 HP / 64 Spd
Bold Nature
- Protect
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic

Hippopotas is my psysical wall and is used to set up Sand and Stealth Rocks. Slack Off is for some more stalling abilities and Toxic is to cripple walls. I use Protect to stall some more Toxic Damage

Sandshrew @ Eviolite
Trait: Sand Rush
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Spd / 236 Atk / 76 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
- X-Scissor

Since it's a Sandstorm team, I wanted to use Double Rush in the forums of Drilbur and Sandshrew. Sandshrew is a bulky Eviolite set so that it's guarenteed to get a Swords Dance up most of the time. Earthquake is its main STAB, Rock Slide and X-Scissor for coverage.

Drilbur @ Life Orb
Trait: Sand Rush
Level: 5
EVs: 212 Spd / 236 Atk / 60 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
- X-Scissor

Drilbur is my more-offensive oriëntated sweeper. His main purpose is to kill weakend Pokemon and revenge kill dangerous threats. Pretty much the MVP of this team.

Archen @ Oran Berry
Trait: Defeatist
Level: 5
EVs: 180 Atk / 132 SDef / 196 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn

Aahhh.. There are no words to describe how much I love this thing. Archen is definitely one of my favorite Pokemon. Screw Defeatist, Oran Berry to your face! Acrobatics is its Main attack when it has lost its Oran Berry. EQ and SE for coverage.

Murkrow @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Super Luck
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 84 SAtk / 188 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Brave Bird
- Dark Pulse
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Grass]

This thing is purely here for Snover. Scarfed Murkrow outspeeds Scarfed Snover and KO's it with either a Brave Bird or a Heat Wave. Brave Bird & Dark Pulse for STAB. Heat Wave for Bronzor and Ferroseed. HP Grass for other common scarfers such as Chinchou

Can't find out how to use a Spoiler, so if you tell me I'll post the importable team.

Replays:

http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/lc-54002972
http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/lc-54006689

 

[SHAURYA]

Nice team i cant do a full rate right now but for now since Misdreavus is now legal in LC.
i suggest changing Swords Dance to Shadow claw on drillbur. I see Misdreavus coming in on drillbur and burn something or start annoying/setting up.
Again Swords Dance<Shadow claw is highly recommended!
Kudos!
Nice team Btw,keep up the good work!

 

[Mr_Bramboy]

Nice team i cant do a full rate right now but for now since Misdreavus is now legal in LC.
i suggest changing Swords Dance to Shadow claw on drillbur. I see Misdreavus coming in on drillbur and burn something or start annoying/setting up.
Again Swords Dance<Shadow claw is highly recommended!
Kudos!
Nice team Btw,keep up the good work!

Thank you! I did have some trouble with Misdreavus, but I didn't really know it learned Shadow Claw. Added it now, thank you for the suggestion!

 

[kingmidas]

Okay this team is a decent sand team, but has many issues so here is my advice.
First off this team looks very weak to shell smashers, even with choice scarf murkrow tirt or even clamperl can wreck havoc and sweep the team, so I suggest changing Archen to lileep. Lileep allows for a solid answer to water types, also it is incredibly bulky to check murkrow which can be a massive threat with hippo out of the way. Second your team needs rapid spin support, even more so if you don't change archen out. This means that you should change Sandshrew's set from a bulky sweeper to a bulky rapid spinner. This set greatly reduces the issues of SR on murkrow and living to revenging snover throughout the game. Also murkrow is killed by ice shard at 60%, so you have to be careful when you bbird or sucker punch. You can change to pawniard or houndour, but this would make you fighting weak so I don't advise this change. Also Change hippos set to standard set with EQ roar/crunch Slack off stealth rock. This allows hippo to have some offensive presence to actually hit the leads it walls, and can use SR without being setup bait to nasty plot sub missy.
Oh and a last note, don't use those replays, you were outplayed and had to rely on the power of sand teams instead of using your skill which doesn't display you as a good player.

 

[Pen Ink]

I support Archen to Lileep and changing Hippo's set to standard.

However, instead of changing Sandshrew to a bulky Rapid Spinner, I think it's better to keep the offensive pressure Double Rush has and instead change Mukrow to Pawniard. Pawniard can trap Snover with Pursuit and do a good chunk of damage, while Iron Head hits Eviolite sets hard. To boot, Pawniard can revenge kill with Sucker Punch. Furthermore, Sandshrew and Drilbur's EV's are kind of funky. You don't really need to pour that much speed into them when they're going to be outpacing anything with very minimal investment. I'd change up those EV's to make them a little more bulky. I'd also change Drilbur's item to Eviolite, which lets it set up on a lot more Pokemon overall.

Pawniard @ Eviolite
Trait: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 236 HP / 156 Atk / 116 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
- Swords Dance

Hippopotas @ Eviolite
Trait: Sand Stream
Level: 5
EVs: 132 HP / 20 Atk / 212 Def / 120 SDef / 20 Spd
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Roar
- Slack Off

Lileep @ Eviolite
Trait: Storm Drain
Level: 5
EVs: 68 HP / 140 Def / 108 SAtk / 140 SDef / 12 Spd
Calm Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Giga Drain
- AncientPower
- Recover

Drilbur: 236 Atk / 116 Def / 76 SDef / 52 Spd, Life Orb -> Eviolite
Sandshrew: 116 HP / 236 Atk / 76 Def / 36 SDef / 36 Spd

 

[Vileman]

Hello, nice team!
I only have a few suggestions of how you teambuilded, and how to fix that. You said you had a weakness to ice, and you took lileep out for a poke thats more frail and its also weak to ice. You should had, instead, taken out another poke of your team and replaced it for something that resisted ice. In your teams case, i'd like you to give a try to bulky pawniard:
Pawniard @ Eviolite
Trait: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SDef / 196 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
- Substitute
FRIGGIN PEN INK NINJAD ME but yeah do what he said, and also was i the only one to note that he missed abra when showing the pokes individually o.o?

 

[Pen Ink]

get rekt

o i didnt notice that, w/e it's probably standard abra

 

[Mr_Bramboy]

Haha, didn't notice I forgot to put in Abra.

Thanks for all the suggestions: I've added Lileep and Pawniard and they're working fine as of now.

Abra set:

Abra @ Focus Sash
Trait: Magic Guard
Level: 5
EVs: 236 SAtk / 76 SDef / 196 Spd
Timid Nature
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Charge Beam
- Energy Ball

Sash because of its weak defences. Psyshock instead of Psychic because I like Psyshock more. Charge Beam and Energy Ball for coverage because I wasn't entirely sure what to put there and I didn't want to run SubCM

 

[Grey Knight]

I don't know how lc works, but that hippo needs a stab attack, every pokemon needs one

 

[Pen Ink]

Haha, didn't notice I forgot to put in Abra.

Thanks for all the suggestions: I've added Lileep and Pawniard and they're working fine as of now.

Abra set:

Abra @ Focus Sash
Trait: Magic Guard
Level: 5
EVs: 236 SAtk / 76 SDef / 196 Spd
Timid Nature
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Charge Beam
- Energy Ball

Sash because of its weak defences. Psyshock instead of Psychic because I like Psyshock more. Charge Beam and Energy Ball for coverage because I wasn't entirely sure what to put there and I didn't want to run SubCM

abra should be running: protect/psyshock/hp fighting/shadow ball

protect beats fake out
psyshock cause stab
hp fighting for darks and steels
shadow ball for ghosts and psychics

 

[iss]

Psychic is better than Psyshock on Abra.

The Pawniard change is a good idea as well.