Before I get into the roles of each of the Pokemon, I'll outline what the basic strategy of the team is: kill everything on both teams so that houndstone can run away with the game. it sounds a bit ridiculous having a team that benefits from having its own members faint but its true, the rest of the team serves to get rid of the counters to Houndstone and if done correctly it almost always results in a win. Because he is the win condition I am never bringing him first into the battle which makes picking the starting two Pokemon much easier, as I just choose from a pool of 5 rather than 6(often only a pool of 4 as I haven't found good reasons to lead TTAR). The most common lead(s) is Glimmora + either lando or corvilknight, just as you get up a free mortal spin or else they risk faking out the glimm and setting up spikes. After that its just about getting rid of the threats to houndstone, but ill explain the individual roles of the team more in depth now.
Landorus @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 124 SpA / 4 SpD / 132 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Sludge Bomb
- Sandsear Storm
- Protect
as far as I am concerned this is the best stat spread / move pool for lando possible for the team, but regardless lando fills the crucial role of big damage special attacker for the team. when supported by corvilknight with either tailwind or light screen he is ridiculously hard to get rid of, while OHKOing most things that aren't resistant to its coverage. tera water lando is perfect for taking on rain teams, and is just a great defensive tera overall. tbh not much I would change about lando but I would debate maybe changing one of his moves just not protect.
Tyranitar @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Thunder Wave
one of the more contentious team slots, but simultaneously one of the most vital. sand is great weather support for the team, smooth rock gives you more leeway so that you don't have to switch him in as repeatedly. thunder wave is something that I started trying recently and it is a really funny option but it isn't something that gets used every game. In its place I used to run tera blast but it felt a bit restrictive needing to tera him to get to use the move, though it is really good value, and easily beats dragon spam. I am open to a slightly different set though, just as I know TTAR could do a lot more.
Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Mirror Armor
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 58 HP / 100 Atk / 180 Def / 170 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Light Screen
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Tailwind
This thing is super underrated, totally the unsung hero of the team. I think the moves and the stat spread is perfect, and I find myself able to click all his moves sometimes even multiple times per game. mirror armor totally cucks intimidators running around, roost allows for easy reliable healing and lets me get more value out of rocky helmet but also all the rest of his moves ofc. brave bird actually does a crazy amount of damage often OHKOing the grass types in the format. I Don't know if tera dragon is the best on corv though, but sometimes I use it in order to resist a fire/ electric move and get up tailwind, which can be really nice if I have lost TTAR and need houndstone to be fast.
Glimmora @ Focus Sash
Ability: Toxic Debris
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 SpA / 6 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Mortal Spin
- Sludge Bomb
- Spiky Shield
- Power Gem
God this Pokemon is evil but it totally holds the team together. good for obvious reasons, most games I win simply because I am able to get up a mortal spin turn 1 and then I can just push the advantage the rest of the game. tera flying gives the team three flying types which is honestly really nice and makes switching around much easier. I don't nothing running spikes on it as switching in a low hp glimmora as a sacrifice on a physical attack gives me a free layer of toxic spikes and loosing a Pokemon is not that bad considering the houndstone win condition. not too sure what I would change on the glimmora tbh, maybe a different move? then again all the moves it has a very high value so its hard to say...
Ogerpon-Hearthflame @ Hearthflame Mask
Ability: Mold Breaker
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 220 HP / 12 Atk / 252 Def / 4 SpD / 20 Spe
Impish Nature
- Ivy Cudgel
- Spiky Shield
- Horn Leech
- Follow Me
Even though she gets chipped by sand she kind of holds the team together. I ran a sand team with archaludon before it got banned and also made it to top 30 and probably could have gone higher with it. it took me a while to figure out what the team was missing in light of the ban but I decided to give bulky hearth flame a try and it has not disappointed. finally having a grass type and one that can OHKO amoonguss helps the team out a lot, but the redirection is super good too. if I decide to tera fire her she pretty much beats sun teams outright too which is nice.
Houndstone @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Rush
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Last Respects
- Protect
- Destiny Bond
- Crunch
Houndstone obviously is the whole point of the team, pretty much never being called out until at least three of the other team members have died. I don't think that set is that unusual either, protect is necessary, last respects even more so, destiny bond gives me some leeway to against priority moves as well as set up sweepers as I can often trade the houndstone for whatever is being set up. tera dark and crunch are there because follow me indeedee is annoying and the the tera dark gives another option against psypsam.
I think that the team is really good but Ive had trouble with matchups where I don't predict a certain Pokemon to be a setup sweeper(or if they have 2 or more setup sweepers), as well as hard trick room teams(maybe I should run taunt on someone to try and give leeway against trick room but I don't know who). if anyone has ideas on how to solve these matchups pleaseee let me know.
Landorus @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 124 SpA / 4 SpD / 132 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Sludge Bomb
- Sandsear Storm
- Protect
as far as I am concerned this is the best stat spread / move pool for lando possible for the team, but regardless lando fills the crucial role of big damage special attacker for the team. when supported by corvilknight with either tailwind or light screen he is ridiculously hard to get rid of, while OHKOing most things that aren't resistant to its coverage. tera water lando is perfect for taking on rain teams, and is just a great defensive tera overall. tbh not much I would change about lando but I would debate maybe changing one of his moves just not protect.
Tyranitar @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Thunder Wave
one of the more contentious team slots, but simultaneously one of the most vital. sand is great weather support for the team, smooth rock gives you more leeway so that you don't have to switch him in as repeatedly. thunder wave is something that I started trying recently and it is a really funny option but it isn't something that gets used every game. In its place I used to run tera blast but it felt a bit restrictive needing to tera him to get to use the move, though it is really good value, and easily beats dragon spam. I am open to a slightly different set though, just as I know TTAR could do a lot more.
Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Mirror Armor
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 58 HP / 100 Atk / 180 Def / 170 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Light Screen
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Tailwind
This thing is super underrated, totally the unsung hero of the team. I think the moves and the stat spread is perfect, and I find myself able to click all his moves sometimes even multiple times per game. mirror armor totally cucks intimidators running around, roost allows for easy reliable healing and lets me get more value out of rocky helmet but also all the rest of his moves ofc. brave bird actually does a crazy amount of damage often OHKOing the grass types in the format. I Don't know if tera dragon is the best on corv though, but sometimes I use it in order to resist a fire/ electric move and get up tailwind, which can be really nice if I have lost TTAR and need houndstone to be fast.
Glimmora @ Focus Sash
Ability: Toxic Debris
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 SpA / 6 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Mortal Spin
- Sludge Bomb
- Spiky Shield
- Power Gem
God this Pokemon is evil but it totally holds the team together. good for obvious reasons, most games I win simply because I am able to get up a mortal spin turn 1 and then I can just push the advantage the rest of the game. tera flying gives the team three flying types which is honestly really nice and makes switching around much easier. I don't nothing running spikes on it as switching in a low hp glimmora as a sacrifice on a physical attack gives me a free layer of toxic spikes and loosing a Pokemon is not that bad considering the houndstone win condition. not too sure what I would change on the glimmora tbh, maybe a different move? then again all the moves it has a very high value so its hard to say...
Ogerpon-Hearthflame @ Hearthflame Mask
Ability: Mold Breaker
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 220 HP / 12 Atk / 252 Def / 4 SpD / 20 Spe
Impish Nature
- Ivy Cudgel
- Spiky Shield
- Horn Leech
- Follow Me
Even though she gets chipped by sand she kind of holds the team together. I ran a sand team with archaludon before it got banned and also made it to top 30 and probably could have gone higher with it. it took me a while to figure out what the team was missing in light of the ban but I decided to give bulky hearth flame a try and it has not disappointed. finally having a grass type and one that can OHKO amoonguss helps the team out a lot, but the redirection is super good too. if I decide to tera fire her she pretty much beats sun teams outright too which is nice.
Houndstone @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Rush
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Last Respects
- Protect
- Destiny Bond
- Crunch
Houndstone obviously is the whole point of the team, pretty much never being called out until at least three of the other team members have died. I don't think that set is that unusual either, protect is necessary, last respects even more so, destiny bond gives me some leeway to against priority moves as well as set up sweepers as I can often trade the houndstone for whatever is being set up. tera dark and crunch are there because follow me indeedee is annoying and the the tera dark gives another option against psypsam.
I think that the team is really good but Ive had trouble with matchups where I don't predict a certain Pokemon to be a setup sweeper(or if they have 2 or more setup sweepers), as well as hard trick room teams(maybe I should run taunt on someone to try and give leeway against trick room but I don't know who). if anyone has ideas on how to solve these matchups pleaseee let me know.
