A Sandstorm team that doesn't use T-Tar and has 2 UU's and one BL pokemon. Any fixes that you can think of will be appreciated.
The team:
As i wasn't going to use Tyranitar in this team, it only leaves me with one viable Sandstreamer, Hippowdon. Hippowdon is is great defensive poke that i can use quite effectively.
Next i needed a grass and water, as well as something to stop Toxic, three things that stop Hippowdon dead. Ferrothorn was my primary choice.
I now needed a Fire and Fighting resist, i was toying between Tentacruel and Slowbro but went with Slowbro as it can also take on opposing Tentacruel as well as take out weakened Ferrothorn's if i needed to.
I now needed a decent physical attacker, as well as something that i can use effectively against the other instant weather changers (T-Tar,Politoed, Ninetaills and Abomasnow.) I decided Terrakion was the best all-round choice.
Latios is my special sweeper, although i can fit a fair few pokes into this spot if needed.
Rotom-H, one of the best Scizor counters i could think of and its only reason for being on my team really, perhaps Heatran would work but i needed something that could hurt bulky waters if the time came and Ferrothorn wasn't available.
The Team In Detail:
Hippowdon @Leftovers Impish
EV's: 252 HP/4Attack/252Def
Stealth Rock
Earthquake
Slack Off
Ice Fang/Roar
With the advent of new physical threats this generation, Hippowdon may not be quite as titanic as last generation but it is still an excellent defensive poke and a good way to check Tyranitar, that has become the primary sandstreamer this generation, despite the advent of more fighting pokemon. It can take even the most powerful of boosted physical hits, possibly even explosion because it no longer halves defense and potentially KO the opposing pokemon or stall it out with Slack Off. Stealth Rock provides entry hazards, Earthquake is a primary STAB move, Slack Off for recovery and either ice Fang to hit Ballooned pokemon as well as Gliscor or Roar to scout opposing teams and rack up extra residual damage.
Ferrothorn @Leftovers Impish
EV's: 252 HP/88Def/168Sp Def
Spikes
Leech Seed
Bulldoze
Power Whip
Pretty much your standard Ferrothorn, bar the use of Bulldoze instead of Gyro Ball, which will be explained. Ferrothorn takes a multitude of both physical and Special hits as well as checking Hippowdon's three key weakenesses Water,Grass and Toxic. Spikes enables me to rack up additional passive damage, Leech Seed provides Ferrothorn some much needed recovery, as well as racking up passive damage on the opponent. Power Whip is a decent hard hitting STAB move, destroying bulky waters and finally Bulldoze is there to prevent Magnezone setting up on me so it has to provide me a clean death and also in an (unlikely) 1-1 scenario against an opposing Ferrothorn i can come out on top, as well as denting Heatran/Jirachi on the switch in e.t.c.
Slowbro @Leftovers Bold <Regenerator>
EV's: 252 HP/140Def/116 Sp Attack
Scald
Slack Off
Fire Blast
Psychic
My surprise package. Takes physical hits like a champ and also has a pretty decent base 100 Sp Attack. The Ev's allow me to potentially OHKO the standard Ferrothorn with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage, which is very useful whilst being pretty bulky with its good defense and HP Stats, as well as Regenerator, Slack Off and Leftovers. Scald offers STAB and a way to potentially cripple Physical attackers, Fire Blast to damage Scizor's e.t.c, Psychic to offer decent STAB and will destroy the fighting types it resists, like Terrakion and finally Slack Off to heal damage.
Terrakion @Choice Band Jolly
EV's:4HP/252 Attack/252 Speed
Close Combat
Stone Edge
X-Scissor
Secret Sword/Quick Attack
A decent physical attacker, capable of destroying all of the other instant weather inducers that could ruin my fun. Close Combat/Stone Edge are practically unresisted and everything will take a huge amount of damage from either attack. X-Scissor offers a way to destroy Reniculus with ease and finally Secret Sword is there to still hit boosted pokemon for the same damage it would without the boosts but quick attack is viable to pick off weakened faster pokes, but i prefer Secret Sword, because of the pokemon that can up their defenses.
Latios @ Life Orb Timid
EV's: 4HP/252 Sp attack/252 Speed
Dragon Pulse
Surf/Psyshock
HP Fire
Recover
My Special Sweeper of choice. I prefer the Life Orb set over Choice Specs simply because although it sacrifices huge power, it offers longevity as well as freedom to change moves. Dragon Pulse is the main STAB move that hits pokemon for a decent amount of damage, Surf is used to damage Heatran as Rock/Ground types that have Steel typing although Psyshock can be used depending on the opponents team, whilst offering additional STAB and a pretty high powered attack. HP Fire is the only way to damage Scizor/Ferrothorn that would love to setup on Latios, as well as other steels like Jirachi and lastly recover offers much needed recovery because of the Life Orb recoil.
Rotom-H @ Choice Scarf Modest
EV's: 4 HP/252 Sp Attack/252 Speed
Overheat
Volt Switch/T-Bolt
HP Grass/Ice
Trick
Perhaps my primary Scizor counter and it does a very good job of it, being x4 resistant to Steel and x2 resistant to Bug and packing Overheat to annihilate it. Overheat is there to put huge dents in pokemon that don't resist it or aren't dedicated special walls, Volt Switch is there to get out of situations i don't like whilst providing damage but Thunderbolt can be used to provide additional power, HP Grass is there because of the increased usage of Gasterodon and Quagsire but Ice can be used to destroy the Dragon/Flying type and lastly Trick potentially cripples its counters (Blissey/Chansey/Jellicent/Tentacruel.)
The team:
As i wasn't going to use Tyranitar in this team, it only leaves me with one viable Sandstreamer, Hippowdon. Hippowdon is is great defensive poke that i can use quite effectively.
Next i needed a grass and water, as well as something to stop Toxic, three things that stop Hippowdon dead. Ferrothorn was my primary choice.
I now needed a Fire and Fighting resist, i was toying between Tentacruel and Slowbro but went with Slowbro as it can also take on opposing Tentacruel as well as take out weakened Ferrothorn's if i needed to.
I now needed a decent physical attacker, as well as something that i can use effectively against the other instant weather changers (T-Tar,Politoed, Ninetaills and Abomasnow.) I decided Terrakion was the best all-round choice.
Latios is my special sweeper, although i can fit a fair few pokes into this spot if needed.
Rotom-H, one of the best Scizor counters i could think of and its only reason for being on my team really, perhaps Heatran would work but i needed something that could hurt bulky waters if the time came and Ferrothorn wasn't available.
The Team In Detail:
Hippowdon @Leftovers Impish
EV's: 252 HP/4Attack/252Def
Stealth Rock
Earthquake
Slack Off
Ice Fang/Roar
With the advent of new physical threats this generation, Hippowdon may not be quite as titanic as last generation but it is still an excellent defensive poke and a good way to check Tyranitar, that has become the primary sandstreamer this generation, despite the advent of more fighting pokemon. It can take even the most powerful of boosted physical hits, possibly even explosion because it no longer halves defense and potentially KO the opposing pokemon or stall it out with Slack Off. Stealth Rock provides entry hazards, Earthquake is a primary STAB move, Slack Off for recovery and either ice Fang to hit Ballooned pokemon as well as Gliscor or Roar to scout opposing teams and rack up extra residual damage.
Ferrothorn @Leftovers Impish
EV's: 252 HP/88Def/168Sp Def
Spikes
Leech Seed
Bulldoze
Power Whip
Pretty much your standard Ferrothorn, bar the use of Bulldoze instead of Gyro Ball, which will be explained. Ferrothorn takes a multitude of both physical and Special hits as well as checking Hippowdon's three key weakenesses Water,Grass and Toxic. Spikes enables me to rack up additional passive damage, Leech Seed provides Ferrothorn some much needed recovery, as well as racking up passive damage on the opponent. Power Whip is a decent hard hitting STAB move, destroying bulky waters and finally Bulldoze is there to prevent Magnezone setting up on me so it has to provide me a clean death and also in an (unlikely) 1-1 scenario against an opposing Ferrothorn i can come out on top, as well as denting Heatran/Jirachi on the switch in e.t.c.
Slowbro @Leftovers Bold <Regenerator>
EV's: 252 HP/140Def/116 Sp Attack
Scald
Slack Off
Fire Blast
Psychic
My surprise package. Takes physical hits like a champ and also has a pretty decent base 100 Sp Attack. The Ev's allow me to potentially OHKO the standard Ferrothorn with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage, which is very useful whilst being pretty bulky with its good defense and HP Stats, as well as Regenerator, Slack Off and Leftovers. Scald offers STAB and a way to potentially cripple Physical attackers, Fire Blast to damage Scizor's e.t.c, Psychic to offer decent STAB and will destroy the fighting types it resists, like Terrakion and finally Slack Off to heal damage.
Terrakion @Choice Band Jolly
EV's:4HP/252 Attack/252 Speed
Close Combat
Stone Edge
X-Scissor
Secret Sword/Quick Attack
A decent physical attacker, capable of destroying all of the other instant weather inducers that could ruin my fun. Close Combat/Stone Edge are practically unresisted and everything will take a huge amount of damage from either attack. X-Scissor offers a way to destroy Reniculus with ease and finally Secret Sword is there to still hit boosted pokemon for the same damage it would without the boosts but quick attack is viable to pick off weakened faster pokes, but i prefer Secret Sword, because of the pokemon that can up their defenses.
Latios @ Life Orb Timid
EV's: 4HP/252 Sp attack/252 Speed
Dragon Pulse
Surf/Psyshock
HP Fire
Recover
My Special Sweeper of choice. I prefer the Life Orb set over Choice Specs simply because although it sacrifices huge power, it offers longevity as well as freedom to change moves. Dragon Pulse is the main STAB move that hits pokemon for a decent amount of damage, Surf is used to damage Heatran as Rock/Ground types that have Steel typing although Psyshock can be used depending on the opponents team, whilst offering additional STAB and a pretty high powered attack. HP Fire is the only way to damage Scizor/Ferrothorn that would love to setup on Latios, as well as other steels like Jirachi and lastly recover offers much needed recovery because of the Life Orb recoil.
Rotom-H @ Choice Scarf Modest
EV's: 4 HP/252 Sp Attack/252 Speed
Overheat
Volt Switch/T-Bolt
HP Grass/Ice
Trick
Perhaps my primary Scizor counter and it does a very good job of it, being x4 resistant to Steel and x2 resistant to Bug and packing Overheat to annihilate it. Overheat is there to put huge dents in pokemon that don't resist it or aren't dedicated special walls, Volt Switch is there to get out of situations i don't like whilst providing damage but Thunderbolt can be used to provide additional power, HP Grass is there because of the increased usage of Gasterodon and Quagsire but Ice can be used to destroy the Dragon/Flying type and lastly Trick potentially cripples its counters (Blissey/Chansey/Jellicent/Tentacruel.)
