VGC Not Your Average Sand Team (VGC 2015)

The-CSchnepf

The-CSchnepf

Hey guys! I'm back with another VGC RMT, this time focusing on a Sand based team with a few tricks up it's sleeve. This team was able to get me to about 1600 (Top 500) on the Showdown ladder before the ladder wipe, and has about a 70% win rate, so feel free to try it out and let me know what you guys think! Now, it's time to explain the team members.

Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 50
EVs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Def / 172 SpA / 44 Spe
Brave Nature
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Ice Beam
- Protect

Mega Tyranitar is a very underrated Mega Evolution in VGC, as it essentially guarantees you win the matchup against other Weather teams. Locking a Charizard-Y into Solarbeam because you had Mega Tyranitar essentially grants you the free KO. The spread above allows Mega Tyranitar to survive a Breloom's Mach Punch, OHKO 4 HP Mega Salamence and Landorus-T, and out speed standard Sylveon and Aegislash. Moveset is pretty simple, Crunch and Rock Slide provide good STAB options, Ice Beam for coverage, Protect for momentum and scouting. Definitely the MVP of this team.

Excadrill @ White Herb
Ability: Sand Rush
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Drill Run
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Protect

This set is pretty standard at first glance, but upon further notice you'll see this Excadrill has White Herb as the item. This allows Excadrill to lead safely against Pokemon with Intimidate, and prevents Icy Wind drops thanks to White Herb's effect. Otherwise, moveset is pretty simple and the spread is standard for offensive Excadrill. Drill Run and Iron Head provide single target STAB moves, Rock Slide provides flinches and spread options, Protect is used for momentum and scouting.

Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 236 HP / 156 Def / 100 SpA / 12 SpD / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Recover
- Ice Beam
- Protect

Milotic is here as another option against Intimidate, and also takes Fire and Water type attacks this team is weak to. The spread I believe prevents the 2HKO from Mega Kangaskhan's Return and standard Thundurus Thunderbolt, as well as OHKOing 4 HP Mega Salamence and Landorus-T. Scald is nice for the STAB and Burns, Recover gives Milotic longevity, Ice Beam provides another option against Lando-T and Mega Mence, Protect is ran for momentum swings and scouting.

Landorus @ Expert Belt
Ability: Sand Force
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Focus Blast
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Since this team had no reliable way to take down Mega Kangaskhan and Aegislash, I decided Landorus-I would fit fantastically on this team. The spread is simple, just makes Landorus as fast as possible while still hitting hard, and Expert Belt is great for guaranteeing KO's on supereffective hits, which is what you'll most likely be using this Landorus for. Earth Power provides a great STAB option with Sand Force, Focus Blast hits Mega Kangaskhan hard, Protect is ran for momentum and scouting, and Hidden Power Ice provides additionally needed coverage.

Cresselia @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 108 Def / 148 SpD
Calm Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Helping Hand
- Psychic
- Light Screen

This team like all Sand teams are very weak to Fighting type attacks, so these last two Pokemon try to help alleviate that weakness. Cresselia not only does this, but also can take Ground type moves thanks to Levitate and is so bulky it's stupid. With Saftey Goggles, Cresselia is also immune to Spore and Sandstorm, making it an effective Amoongus counter. The spread above guarantee's Aegislash's Shadow Ball can't 3HKO, and that's really it. Thunder Wave provides additional Speed control, Helping Hand offers teammates a bit of extra power, Psychic offers a reliable STAB move to fall back on and Light Screen gives the team a bit of extra Special bulk which is useful when facing threats like Milotic.

Trevenant @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Harvest
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Atk / 100 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Wood Hammer

Finally we have Trevenant, a bit weird at first glance since Harvest and Sand don't mix. However, Trevenant acts as another precaution in case this team does lose the weather war, thanks to having the type matchup against Rain and Harvest to make use of the Sun and Sitrus Berry. Not only that, but Trevenant takes Fighting and Grass type attacks as well as beating bulky Water types this team has difficulty breaking otherwise. The EV spread guarantees the OHKO on Azumarill with Wood Hammer, as well as allowing Trevenant to survive a Mega Mawile's Play Rough. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers and provides chip damage, Leech Seed provides more chip damage and recovery, Protect provides momentum and scouting and Wood Hammer is ran for a very powerful STAB option.

I'm still testing the team myself, so I'll probably edit in some weaknesses and threats later but again I feel it's an incredibly strong and well built team to ladder with. Hope you guys enjoy the team, thank you for reading and I'll leave and importable version of the team down below! :]

Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 50
EVs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Def / 172 SpA / 44 Spe
Brave Nature
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Ice Beam
- Protect
Excadrill @ White Herb
Ability: Sand Rush
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Drill Run
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Protect
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 236 HP / 156 Def / 100 SpA / 12 SpD / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Recover
- Ice Beam
- Protect
Landorus @ Expert Belt
Ability: Sand Force
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Focus Blast
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Cresselia @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 108 Def / 148 SpD
Calm Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Helping Hand
- Psychic
- Light Screen
Trevenant @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Harvest
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Atk / 100 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Wood Hammer
 
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Nice team :)

May i suggest a few technical things :)
firstly, i would use focus sash over white herb on excadrill. it guarantees a few more turns out on the field and since you have a mon that discourages intimidate in milotic, intimidate isn't that much of a worry :)

secondly, i would suggest that you have life orb over expert belt on landorus. this means that the damage output from landorus is more powerful and less situational (expert belt boosts by 20%, life orb by 30%), and i would also go with sheer force instead of sand force when using that set. this means that both earth power AND focus blast get the 33% boost, whereas sand force would only boost Earth power by 33%. sheer force also negates the recoil from life orb when you use earth power/focus blast.
 
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Draconid997 said:
Nice team :)

May i suggest a few technical things :)
firstly, i would use focus sash over white herb on excadrill. it guarantees a few more turns out on the field and since you have a mon that discourages intimidate in milotic, intimidate isn't that much of a worry :)

secondly, i would suggest that you have life orb over expert belt on landorus. this means that the damage output from landorus is more powerful and less situational (expert belt boosts by 20%, life orb by 30%), and i would also go with sheer force instead of sand force when using that set. this means that both earth power AND focus blast get the 33% boost, whereas sand force would only boost Earth power by 33%. sheer force also negates the recoil from life orb when you use earth power/focus blast.
Click to expand...
Sheer Force + Life Orb is banned from VGC on Landorus.
 
Draconid997 said:
Nice team :)

May i suggest a few technical things :)
firstly, i would use focus sash over white herb on excadrill. it guarantees a few more turns out on the field and since you have a mon that discourages intimidate in milotic, intimidate isn't that much of a worry :)

secondly, i would suggest that you have life orb over expert belt on landorus. this means that the damage output from landorus is more powerful and less situational (expert belt boosts by 20%, life orb by 30%), and i would also go with sheer force instead of sand force when using that set. this means that both earth power AND focus blast get the 33% boost, whereas sand force would only boost Earth power by 33%. sheer force also negates the recoil from life orb when you use earth power/focus blast.
Click to expand...

I was going to say something about the Landorus not getting Sheer Force but it looks like Platinum beat me to it. ;)

Thank you for you compliments, glad to see you like the team! On the topic of Excadrill, I actually did initially use a Focus Sash instead of White Herb for that very reason. While I do have Milotic to combat Intimidate, I didn't like being forced to lead with it every time I saw a Salamence or Landorus-T. If the opponent didn't lead with Landorus-T or Salamence, or has a lead with a Water type counter (Mega Salamence+Amoongus is the big one that comes to mind) that immediately puts me at a disadvantage. Having White Herb not only allows me to lead Tyranitar+Excadrill against almost every team, but having two counters to Intimidate also means I can punish my opponent's Intimidate whether they lead with it or not. Basically, White Herb gives you a safety net to push for more aggressive lead choices with the cost of low survivability while Focus Sash keeps you alive an extra turn but loses versatility.
 
The-CSchnepf said:
I was going to say something about the Landorus not getting Sheer Force but it looks like Platinum beat me to it. ;)

Thank you for you compliments, glad to see you like the team! On the topic of Excadrill, I actually did initially use a Focus Sash instead of White Herb for that very reason. While I do have Milotic to combat Intimidate, I didn't like being forced to lead with it every time I saw a Salamence or Landorus-T. If the opponent didn't lead with Landorus-T or Salamence, or has a lead with a Water type counter (Mega Salamence+Amoongus is the big one that comes to mind) that immediately puts me at a disadvantage. Having White Herb not only allows me to lead Tyranitar+Excadrill against almost every team, but having two counters to Intimidate also means I can punish my opponent's Intimidate whether they lead with it or not. Basically, White Herb gives you a safety net to push for more aggressive lead choices with the cost of low survivability while Focus Sash keeps you alive an extra turn but loses versatility.
Click to expand...
that's a nice idea go for it :)
 
Don't you find your sand team ironically weak to Rock? Only Excadrill resists it, and it's matchup against 2 of the most common Rock Slide users (Landorus-T and Terrakion) isn't the best matchup. I find this Sand team really weird, because not only Rock Slide is a thing against it, but also because its Sun matchup is pretty bad w/o sand. Look at it (using as reference the Charizard Y + Landorus-T core):
Tyranitar: well, Superpower OHKOs, not much to say. Charizard Y Solar beam should KO after chip damage like Landorus-T Rock Slide.
Excadrill: dies to both tbh. Your Excadrill is adamant so it won't out speed under sun.
Milotic: Solarbeam 2HKOs, and there isn't much that you can do to Zard Y under sun. Milotic can also get doubled for the KO, but that's a really risky play.
Landorus-I: Unlike Cybertron's, you can't touch Zard Y. At all.
Cress: It's really passive, although Thunder Wave and Light Screen can potentially turn the tables on this matchup.
Do I have to explain Trevenant?
Well, maybe I'm exaggerating the Sun matchup, maybe not, who knows? But I doubt Trevenant can really do much for your team. You also seem to have an Aegislash issue, which is another of sun's favorites and a really big threat in general. Replacing Trevenant with Hydreigon might be the call, because Hydreigon soft checks other weather decently. Up to you, of course.
Well, hope I helped! Have a nice day!
- Skarm
 
Steven Stone said:
Don't you find your sand team ironically weak to Rock? Only Excadrill resists it, and it's matchup against 2 of the most common Rock Slide users (Landorus-T and Terrakion) isn't the best matchup. I find this Sand team really weird, because not only Rock Slide is a thing against it, but also because its Sun matchup is pretty bad w/o sand. Look at it (using as reference the Charizard Y + Landorus-T core):
Tyranitar: well, Superpower OHKOs, not much to say. Charizard Y Solar beam should KO after chip damage like Landorus-T Rock Slide.
Excadrill: dies to both tbh. Your Excadrill is adamant so it won't out speed under sun.
Milotic: Solarbeam 2HKOs, and there isn't much that you can do to Zard Y under sun. Milotic can also get doubled for the KO, but that's a really risky play.
Landorus-I: Unlike Cybertron's, you can't touch Zard Y. At all.
Cress: It's really passive, although Thunder Wave and Light Screen can potentially turn the tables on this matchup.
Do I have to explain Trevenant?
Well, maybe I'm exaggerating the Sun matchup, maybe not, who knows? But I doubt Trevenant can really do much for your team. You also seem to have an Aegislash issue, which is another of sun's favorites and a really big threat in general. Replacing Trevenant with Hydreigon might be the call, because Hydreigon soft checks other weather decently. Up to you, of course.
Well, hope I helped! Have a nice day!
- Skarm
Click to expand...

I don't really see the team as weak to Rock, given that none of the Pokemon on the team are weak to Rock. Landorus-T is checked by Trevenant, Milotic, Landorus-I, and it has a hard time hitting Cresselia so I don't really see it as that big of a problem, since it's pretty simple to switch Tyranitar out to avoid getting KO'd, or you can use Protect to take a Superpower. The Sun matchup is also the most favorable one for this team thanks to Mega Tyranitar. Mega Tyranitar is slower than Mega Charizard-Y, so not only do I win the weather war but if Charizard-Y wants to go for a Solarbeam that turn they become a sitting duck and essentially give me a free KO. As for Aegislash Tyranitar, Excadrill, and Landorus-I all beat it decently but you are correct in saying it is a big problem for this team. The only problem I have with replacing Trevenant with Hydreigon is that it removes the team's ability to deal with Water types and it adds another Fighting and Fairy weakness to the team. I do agree with this team needing a reliable Aegislash counter, I'm just not sure Hydreigon is the right Pokemon for the job.
 
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ROCK SLIDE FLINCHES THO!!!
Yeah, you're right. I was probably just messing up. Well, what it comes to my concern, against Sand Team Charizard will prefer to not Mega Evolve inmediatly and Protect, and when you reveal your Mega Evolution, they will proceed to Protect. Just play carefully around Sun, because teams like Angel Miranda's could really be a headache if played right (as all weather wars tbh)
Well, there isn't many Aegislash checks that aren't weak to Fairy, sadly. I can think of Scrafty, Hydreigon, Heatran, Bisharp and a few more, but that's it. Don't you feel like Trevenant added a lot of more weaknesses rather than resistances? I mean, this is your type chart without Trevenant (assuming all the 5 Pokemon)
Type Chart without Trevenant.PNG
And this is your type chart with Trevenant
Type Chart with Trevenant.PNG
I'll leave the decisions up to you, but i'm warning you about Trevenant. Grass/Ghost is a really weak defensive typing in this format, and Trevenant doesn't do more than what Ferrothorn or even Chesnaught can do.
 
Steven Stone said:
ROCK SLIDE FLINCHES THO!!!
Yeah, you're right. I was probably just messing up. Well, what it comes to my concern, against Sand Team Charizard will prefer to not Mega Evolve inmediatly and Protect, and when you reveal your Mega Evolution, they will proceed to Protect. Just play carefully around Sun, because teams like Angel Miranda's could really be a headache if played right (as all weather wars tbh)
Well, there isn't many Aegislash checks that aren't weak to Fairy, sadly. I can think of Scrafty, Hydreigon, Heatran, Bisharp and a few more, but that's it. Don't you feel like Trevenant added a lot of more weaknesses rather than resistances? I mean, this is your type chart without Trevenant (assuming all the 5 Pokemon)
View attachment 48252
And this is your type chart with Trevenant
View attachment 48253
I'll leave the decisions up to you, but i'm warning you about Trevenant. Grass/Ghost is a really weak defensive typing in this format, and Trevenant doesn't do more than what Ferrothorn or even Chesnaught can do.
Click to expand...

While Trevenant adds lots of weaknesses to the team, the type chart also shows the team has a resist for every type except Rock thanks to Trevenant. However, the added weaknesses can be exploited against me, and even with the added resists and immunites that may be reason enough to replace Trevenant. Maybe Gengar would be better? It's not a perfect counter, but at the least it's another check that can take a Fighting type attack. Another option I really like is an Aegislash of my own, but on further thought I'm not sure I want another Ground and Fire weakness to the team. Trevenant is pretty meh typing wise on this team, but it's really just a niche Pokemon I bring against Water types, Landorus-T and mayyyyybe Kangaskhan. I wouldn't be opposed to finding a Pokemon who synergizes better with the team typing wise, but I feel there's really not any other Pokemon who can cover all of the team's blind spots.
 
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