First of all, let me provide some background information about myself.
I have been playing Pokémon since I was 5 years old (I’m 16 now), and throughout my life, I have learned a great deal about the standard metagame, a lot of information coming from this smogon website. I finally decided to join the smogon forums because I felt it was necessary to join a Pokémon website’s community that has also given me an immense amount of help
Throughout my life, I have experienced many, many battles. I have concluded that sandstorm teams can certainly pose a threat to nearly all types of standard teams, for three reasons. For starters, the constant presence of a sandstorm provides continuous damage, negating healing items, like leftovers and black sludge. Secondly, sand storms provide a special defense boost to all ground, rock, and steel types present, notably my own team members. Last of all, sandstorms weaken weather dependent teams, notably rain dance, hail, and sunny day teams, crippling the non-steel, rock, and ground types, as well as their weather dependent moves, notably synthesis, moonlight, and morning sun. In conclusion, these are the reasons explaining why I have chosen a sandstorm team!
1) Empoleon (Quiet).
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 155 HP, 100 Att, 252 Special Att.
Held Item: Focus Sash.
Moveset: hydro pump, stealth rock, aqua jet, ice beam.
Empoleon is my ultimate lead Pokémon; more specifically, he is designed to take out many of the other common OU leads, notably aerodactyl, hippowdon, and even choice scarf azelf, jirachi, and celebi! My strategy: a) Empoleon attacks first with hydro pump, 1HKOing or severely injuring the opposing Pokémon. (If the opposing Pokémon is not destroyed by hydro pump, Empoleon will always survive with focus sash, and then make the final blow with aqua jet.)
Or b) the opponent attacks first, and Empoleon endures a potential 1HKO with focus sash. Torrent activates, and then Empoleon 1HKO’s the opposing Pokémon with torrent boosted hydro pump
If a bulky grass or dragon is used, ice beam is used instead of hydro pump.
Finally, if Empoleon has time, he can lay out stealth rock. Also, if he faces a major Pokémon counter, like fake out infernape, he can let loose stealth rocks, and then get a quick slap at the opponent by using aqua jet before getting killed by something like earthquake
2) Lucario (Adamant).
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 252 Att, 252 Speed, 4 HP.
Held Item: Salac Berry.
Moveset: vacuum wave, endure, reversal, crunch.
Lucario is one of my “specialists”; he is my salac berry – reversal Pokémon. His strategy is simple: Lucario switches in and endures a potential 1HKO attack with focus sash. Salac berry activates, and Lucario then begins plowing through the opponent’s team with reversal. If a ghost appears, he quickly dispatches it with crunch. Lastly, if the opposing Pokémon does not faint from reversal, Lucario may have a chance of finishing it off with vacuum wave, if, for example, the opponent uses a damage-less oriented move, like Sword dance, sunny day, or taunt. (I may consider changing vacuum wave to extremespeed – please discuss this when you make your comments.)
3) Scizor (Adamant).
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Att, 252 Speed, 4 HP.
Held Item: Life Orb.
Moveset: sword dance, bullet punch, superpower, bug bite.
Since Lucario can be a risky sweeper, Scizor is my dependable physical sweeper. When I need physical might, I switch in with Scizor. She then uses sword dance, and begins plowing through the opponents team, using the right move for any Pokémon that she will face.
4) Hippowdon (Careful).
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP, 4 Att, 252 Special Defense.
Held Item: Leftovers.
Moveset: curse, slack off, stone edge, earthquake.
Hippowdon is the backbone of this set; he is responsible for providing sandstorm support. In addition, he is also a great special wall, who cannot be killed by any neutral special move, and can even survive certain super effective moves. When Hippowdon switches in, he endures a damage move, and uses curse to boost defense and att. He then begins to plow through the opposing team, while using slack off when necessary.
5) Vaporeon (Bold).
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 188 HP, 252 Def, 68 Special Att.
Held Item: Leftovers.
Moveset: ice beam, surf, wish, protect.
Vaporeon is my best special wall, and provides wish support to my team, as well as cover from dragon dancing Gyrados.
First of all, his wish support is oriented towards helping Empoleon, if he gets scratched by something little, like fake out or grass knot. Vaporeon passes wish to Empoleon, healing Empoleon to full health and re-activating focus sash.
Secondly, Vaporeon can also use wish, and then protect to heal himself, while blasting away with powerful surfs and ice beams.
Lastly, should I come across a Gyrados, Vaporeon is my guy. When gyrados appears, Vaporeon switches in and furiously shoots ice beams to take out Gyrados as soon as possible. Plus, Vaporeon’s water absorb ability will completely cripple Gyrados’s stab waterfall, and possibly heal Vaporeon, if he switches in when Gyrados uses waterfall and Vaporeon is missing a few hit points
6) Bronzong (Sassy).
Ability: Levitate.
EVs: 4 HP, 252 Att, 252 Special Defense.
Held Item: Power Lens.
Moveset: gyro ball, earthquake, sleep talk, rest.
Bronzong is the second specialist that I have – a sleep talker/speed destroyer. Bronzong can counter a variety of OU Pokémon, notably Weavile, Ninjask, Jolteon, and Breloom
Bronzong can 1HKO Weavile and Ninjask 100% of the time with Gyro Ball. In addition, he can most likely 1HKO Jolteon with a single earthquake.
Lastly, bronzing destroys breloom by attacking, while under spore sleep, with sleep talk. When he wakes up, he uses rest again, possibly surviving many focus punches.
Conclusion:
It would be very much appreciated if you left any constructive comments/criticism. (Compliments are also appreciated greatly!)
Please list any Pokémon counters you can think of (Pokémon that can counter my entire team or a majority of my team).
In addition, also state any suggested movesets, if you think anything should be changed
However, please do not suggest any different Pokémon or different EV distributions – These Pokémon are here to stay.
Thank you.
I have been playing Pokémon since I was 5 years old (I’m 16 now), and throughout my life, I have learned a great deal about the standard metagame, a lot of information coming from this smogon website. I finally decided to join the smogon forums because I felt it was necessary to join a Pokémon website’s community that has also given me an immense amount of help
Throughout my life, I have experienced many, many battles. I have concluded that sandstorm teams can certainly pose a threat to nearly all types of standard teams, for three reasons. For starters, the constant presence of a sandstorm provides continuous damage, negating healing items, like leftovers and black sludge. Secondly, sand storms provide a special defense boost to all ground, rock, and steel types present, notably my own team members. Last of all, sandstorms weaken weather dependent teams, notably rain dance, hail, and sunny day teams, crippling the non-steel, rock, and ground types, as well as their weather dependent moves, notably synthesis, moonlight, and morning sun. In conclusion, these are the reasons explaining why I have chosen a sandstorm team!
1) Empoleon (Quiet).
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 155 HP, 100 Att, 252 Special Att.
Held Item: Focus Sash.
Moveset: hydro pump, stealth rock, aqua jet, ice beam.
Empoleon is my ultimate lead Pokémon; more specifically, he is designed to take out many of the other common OU leads, notably aerodactyl, hippowdon, and even choice scarf azelf, jirachi, and celebi! My strategy: a) Empoleon attacks first with hydro pump, 1HKOing or severely injuring the opposing Pokémon. (If the opposing Pokémon is not destroyed by hydro pump, Empoleon will always survive with focus sash, and then make the final blow with aqua jet.)
Or b) the opponent attacks first, and Empoleon endures a potential 1HKO with focus sash. Torrent activates, and then Empoleon 1HKO’s the opposing Pokémon with torrent boosted hydro pump
If a bulky grass or dragon is used, ice beam is used instead of hydro pump.
Finally, if Empoleon has time, he can lay out stealth rock. Also, if he faces a major Pokémon counter, like fake out infernape, he can let loose stealth rocks, and then get a quick slap at the opponent by using aqua jet before getting killed by something like earthquake
2) Lucario (Adamant).
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 252 Att, 252 Speed, 4 HP.
Held Item: Salac Berry.
Moveset: vacuum wave, endure, reversal, crunch.
Lucario is one of my “specialists”; he is my salac berry – reversal Pokémon. His strategy is simple: Lucario switches in and endures a potential 1HKO attack with focus sash. Salac berry activates, and Lucario then begins plowing through the opponent’s team with reversal. If a ghost appears, he quickly dispatches it with crunch. Lastly, if the opposing Pokémon does not faint from reversal, Lucario may have a chance of finishing it off with vacuum wave, if, for example, the opponent uses a damage-less oriented move, like Sword dance, sunny day, or taunt. (I may consider changing vacuum wave to extremespeed – please discuss this when you make your comments.)
3) Scizor (Adamant).
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Att, 252 Speed, 4 HP.
Held Item: Life Orb.
Moveset: sword dance, bullet punch, superpower, bug bite.
Since Lucario can be a risky sweeper, Scizor is my dependable physical sweeper. When I need physical might, I switch in with Scizor. She then uses sword dance, and begins plowing through the opponents team, using the right move for any Pokémon that she will face.
4) Hippowdon (Careful).
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP, 4 Att, 252 Special Defense.
Held Item: Leftovers.
Moveset: curse, slack off, stone edge, earthquake.
Hippowdon is the backbone of this set; he is responsible for providing sandstorm support. In addition, he is also a great special wall, who cannot be killed by any neutral special move, and can even survive certain super effective moves. When Hippowdon switches in, he endures a damage move, and uses curse to boost defense and att. He then begins to plow through the opposing team, while using slack off when necessary.
5) Vaporeon (Bold).
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 188 HP, 252 Def, 68 Special Att.
Held Item: Leftovers.
Moveset: ice beam, surf, wish, protect.
Vaporeon is my best special wall, and provides wish support to my team, as well as cover from dragon dancing Gyrados.
First of all, his wish support is oriented towards helping Empoleon, if he gets scratched by something little, like fake out or grass knot. Vaporeon passes wish to Empoleon, healing Empoleon to full health and re-activating focus sash.
Secondly, Vaporeon can also use wish, and then protect to heal himself, while blasting away with powerful surfs and ice beams.
Lastly, should I come across a Gyrados, Vaporeon is my guy. When gyrados appears, Vaporeon switches in and furiously shoots ice beams to take out Gyrados as soon as possible. Plus, Vaporeon’s water absorb ability will completely cripple Gyrados’s stab waterfall, and possibly heal Vaporeon, if he switches in when Gyrados uses waterfall and Vaporeon is missing a few hit points
6) Bronzong (Sassy).
Ability: Levitate.
EVs: 4 HP, 252 Att, 252 Special Defense.
Held Item: Power Lens.
Moveset: gyro ball, earthquake, sleep talk, rest.
Bronzong is the second specialist that I have – a sleep talker/speed destroyer. Bronzong can counter a variety of OU Pokémon, notably Weavile, Ninjask, Jolteon, and Breloom
Bronzong can 1HKO Weavile and Ninjask 100% of the time with Gyro Ball. In addition, he can most likely 1HKO Jolteon with a single earthquake.
Lastly, bronzing destroys breloom by attacking, while under spore sleep, with sleep talk. When he wakes up, he uses rest again, possibly surviving many focus punches.
Conclusion:
It would be very much appreciated if you left any constructive comments/criticism. (Compliments are also appreciated greatly!)
Please list any Pokémon counters you can think of (Pokémon that can counter my entire team or a majority of my team).
In addition, also state any suggested movesets, if you think anything should be changed
However, please do not suggest any different Pokémon or different EV distributions – These Pokémon are here to stay.
Thank you.