Return to Competitive Play - Sort of an update of my old team

[ZombieSwarm]

Hi everyone! I've finally decided to start EV training again, after almost a year and a half away from competitive Pokemon. I've been too busy playing Brawl competitively, but that's a different story, XD. Basically, I'm hosting a Pokemon side event at Brawl tournament in June, and I'd like some help getting my team up to par. This is a Sandstorm-ish team, but I wouldn't say it relies heavily on the weather, which is a good thing in the long run, IMO.

Team Overview

The Lead

Swampert @Leftovers
Relaxed 252 HP/ 6 Atk/ 252 Def
Torrent
-Earthquake
-Ice Beam
-Protect/Yawn
-Stealth Rock

A Mixpert lead. This spot was originally held by Azelf, but I realized that I had too many weaknesses as a team, and decided to put in Swampert. Depending on what I decide to go with, I'll either start out using Yawn or Stealth Rock. Yawn, more often than not, forces a switch, giving me a free Stealth Rock set up. If they don't switch, they fall asleep. If I stick with Protect, I'll be using it to scout for U-turn or the possible Explosion. I have to say though, I like the idea of Yawn more than I like the idea of Protect, but I'd like some opinions on it. The main problem with this set I see is an Azelf lead, who can quickly Taunt me out of using Stealth Rock or Yawn/Protect, and laying its own Rocks, and then possibly exploding.

Bulky Support Sweeper

Rotom - Heat @ White Herb
Bold 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 Spe
Levitate
-Thunderbolt
-Shadow Ball
-Overheat
-Will-O-Wisp

Also, a good follow up to Swampert, as Rotom-H is a very good way of dealing with Rapid Spinners like Starmie and Tentacruel, among others. Besides being able to stop spinners, Rotom-H is mainly a part of my team to give me some special coverage, as most of my team is physical. Will-O-Wisp is just a little extra to sweeten the deal. On my first team, this spot was held by Rotom-W to give me water coverage, but once I got rid of Azelf and it's Fire Blast, I decided to switch Rotom over to Heat to keep the fire attack needed to deal with the likes of Skarmory and Scizor.

Sandstorm Sweeper

Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Jolly 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Sand Stream
-Pursuit
-Stone Edge
-Crunch
-Earthquake

Originally a Dragon Dance set. Thanks to DDRMaster's advice, I decided to make him into a Choice Scarf set. He can outspeed many of his offensive threats. Also covers my teams weakness to Steel pretty well. Best used as a switch in on a predicted Taunt, usually from the opponents lead. Crunch, Pursuit and Stone Edge for STAB. Pursuit is used to scout for switches, especially against Rotom. Earthquake is for more coverage. Also, sets up the Sandstorm that helps out my next Pokemon...

ToxiStaller

Cradily @ Leftovers
Careful/Calm 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
Suction Cups
-Stockpile
-Recover
-Toxic
-Earthquake/Earth Power

Oh how Sandstorm helps this guy out. Back when I had an older Sandstorm team, this guy was my staple. As much as the metagame has changed, this guy still holds a special place in my heart. Start out by poisoning the opponent with Toxic, and proceed to Stockpile. From this point, depending on my HP situation, I proceed to Recover to stall further, or EQ/EP to deal more damage. I'm not entirely sure if I should stick with Careful/EQ, because of the abundance of Scizor now. I was thinking of changing it to Calm/Earth Power to deal a little extra damage to Scizor's lower Special Defense. This also helps me against defensive Jirachi's, although I'm not sure I'd keep Cradily out if I had to deal with one of them anyway.

Defensive Passer

Gliscor @ Yache Berry
Impish 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 Spe
Sand Veil
-Swords Dance
-Earthquake
-Roost
-Baton Pass

Defensive Baton Passing Gliscor. Swords Dance up, and proceed to either sweep, or Baton Pass to Tyranitar or Scizor. Roost is for longevity, to get as many SD's in as I can before I pass. Earthquake is for STAB and coverage. On top of being Bulky, the Sandstorm Tyranitar kicks up will also activate Gliscor's Sand Veil ability, which hopefully helps him survive even longer to get off the pass. Gliscor will probably be a late game passer, and more often than not, he'll be passing to...

Late Game Sweeper

Scizor @ Expert Belt
Adamant 44 HP / 252 Atk / 214 Spe
Technician
-Agility
-Bug Bite
-Bullet Punch
-Brick Break

My late game sweeper, Scizor. Hopefully get the BP from Gliscor to boost his already high attack, Agility up, and proceed to sweep. Now, I want to ask this, because I've never seen it mentioned before, but which is better when I have Technician, Bug Bite, or X-Scissor? Obviously X-Scissor is not affected by Technician, but Bug Bite is. Does Technician make Bug Bite stronger than X-Scissor? Well anyway, Bullet Punch and one of the bug moves for STAB, and Brick Break to deal with the likes of Tyranitar and Blissey. I chose Brick Break over Superpower, because, being a late game sweeper, I want Scizor around as long as possible, which is also why I went with Expert Belt over Life Orb.

So there we have it. As I mentioned before, one of my best teams back in the day was my Sandstorm team, so I wanted to sort of honor that, since I'm coming back to competitive play. I'm not really used to all of the new changes, to be honest. Last time I played, Scizor didn't even have Bullet Punch, XD. Well, constructive criticism is welcome, and appreciated!

 

[ZombieSwarm]

Threat List

(Red is dangerous for my team. Orange means my team has slight problems with it.)


Offensive Threats

Aerodactyl - Mostly used as a lead. If he taunts, I use Ice Beam with Swampert, if he Stealth Rocks, I'll probably either Ice Beam or Stealth Rock myself.

Azelf - Ttar should have no trouble with him, and Scizor's Bug Bite will also help take him out.

Breloom - Rotom can take the spore and not worry about dealing with the ensuing Focus Punch. Rotom should take any other attack he dishes out. If Breloom becomes a problem, might consider switching Rotom to a Sleeptalker.

Dragonite - If Swampert is down, Cradily can probably just toxistall him, although I'm not sure how hard I'd be hit. Tyranitar can DD up and proceed to Stone Edge. Shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Electivire - Swampert and Gliscor say hi. Even Rotom can deal with him, as long it doesn't switch in on a Thunderbolt.

Empoleon - Rotom can make quick work of him. Swampert and Gliscor shouldn't have too many problems either, as Swampert can take his hits and EQ him back, and Gliscor should be faster than him.

Flygon - I'm really glad I decided to make Swampert my lead. He covers a lot of my problems, Flygon being one of them. Although, most of my team is hard hitting, I'd need to watch out for U-turn if I have Ttar or Cradily out.

Gengar - After 1 DD, Ttar should outspeed this guy, so I can make quick work of him with Crunch. I should watch out for Focus Blast, though. Scizor can also play off of Gengar's terrible defense, and Bullet Punch. BP should be a OHKO if Scizor gets SD off of Gliscor.

Gyarados - Rotom is my best option here. With his increased defenses thanks to his EV's, he should be able to take out Gyara. Tyranitar can also kill him with Stone Edge, and will outspeed Gyara after a DD. Rotom is the better choice, though. Late game DD Gyara is annoying though, so I might have some problems against it.

Heatran - Shouldn't be too much of a problem. Earthquake from Swampert or Gliscor makes quick work of him. Brick Break from Scizor probably isn't too shabby either.

Heracross - Overheat from Rotom-H should make quick work of him. Besides that, I don't have any SE moves that could probably OHKO him. Might be a problem is Rotom is gone. Ttar has Fire Punch, but Hera could probably take him out before I get off the FP.

Infernape - I have enough Earthquake on my team, that this guy shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Jirachi - My best option is Rotom. Overheat, although risky, should be able to take Jirachi out. Again, I also have a bunch of Earthquake on my team, and Ttar also has Fire Punch. Shouldn't be that much of a problem to me.

Jolteon - I still think I have enough Earthquake on my team to deal with this guy. Revenge kill with Scizor if necessary.

Kingdra - Not weak to any attack I have on my team, but he's not particularly strong against any of my guys either. Might be a minor problem.

Latias - I have enough offensive attacks on my side, that this guy shouldn't be too much of a problem. I wish I could say Swampert can deal with him with Ice Beam, but that SpDef is too high.

Lucario - Like many before, Earthquake says hi. Rotom also has Overheat, and Ttar has Fire Punch, although Ttar is not my first choice against this guy.

Machamp - Rotom is my best option. I can't get confused from his Dynamicpunch, and as long as he doesn't carry Payback, he shouldn't be much of a problem. With Payback, he might get a bit annoying.

Magnezone - I have enough Earthquake to deal with this guy. Cradily actually might be able to set up against him, if it doesn't carry Flash Cannon. Should be worried about him if I have Scizor out, though.

Mamoswine - Might have trouble with this guy. My best bet is to switch in Rotom on an Earthquake and Will-O-Wisp him. If Rotom doesn't die, Overheat is probably my best option to try and take him down.

Metagross - Once again, I think I have enough Earthquake on my side to take him down, although he's still probably annoying. Shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Ninjask - No phazer means this guy can be quite annoying. Not as common as a Baton Passer anymore, so hopefully I won't have to deal with this guy too much.

Roserade - If used as a lead, gtfo Swampert. Overheat from Rotom and Bug Bite from Scizor are my best options. Hopefully I don't eat a Sleep Powder first. Might be a bit of a problem for me.

Salamence - Swampert has Ice Beam, and Tyranitar has Stone Edge. Might be able to stall him out with Cradily, if it's a switch in after Cradily gets out a few Stockpiles.

Scizor - Bullet Punch is a problem, but I think Rotom would be able to handle this guy. Might be a bit of a problem for the rest of my team, though. Depends on if Scizor is a switch in after my Pokemon are buffed or not.

Smeargle - Shouldn't be too much of a problem. Scizor's Brick Break can take it out in one hit. The only problem is that I wouldn't know what kind of set he is running, so I should always be on my toes.

Starmie - The main reason I'm debating Jolly over Adamant on Ttar. After one DD, I can outspeed Starmie, and proceed to Crunch. Scizor can Bug Bite, and Rotom can Thunderbolt. Rotom can also block the possibility of a Rapid Spin. Shouldn't be that much of a problem.

Togekiss - My best option is Ttar. His Air Slash does minimal damage, while my Stone Edge should take it down in one shot. I do need to look out for the possible Aura Sphere, but even then, Ttar should be able to live through it. I also need to watch for Nasty Plots.

Tyranitar - Scizor takes care of this guy pretty easily. If not Scizor, Gliscor and Swampert have Earthquake, while Ttar has nothing but STAB moves to use on them.

Weavile - Can be a bit annoying, although Scizor would have no problem with this guy. Isn't too much of a threat.

Defensive Threats

Blissey - Too many physical attacks on my side to really consider Blissey a threat. Scizor makes quick work of her with Brick Break, especially if I pass a SD to him.

Bronzong - Overheat from Rotom and Fire Punch from Ttar should be enough to take this guy down. Hopefully isn't too much of a problem.

Celebi - On top of my fire attacks from Rotom and Ttar, Scizor also has Bug Bite, which hits for 4x damage on Celebi. Shouldn't give me that many problems

Dusknoir - Might be a bit of a problem. Rotom is my best option, although I can probably outstall him with Cradily. Will-O-Wisp is laughed away by Recover from Cradily.

Forretress - Rotom is my best option. Block his Rapid Spin, and proceed to Overheat him. Forretress can't take the easy way out with Explosion either.

Gliscor - Ice Beam from Swampert is probably my best option. Besides that, my other option is probably Scizor. I don't think Gliscor will give me too many problems, although he does benefit from my Ttar's Sandstorm.

Hippowdon - Ice Beam from Swampert is my only SE move against this guy, but I resist most of his moveset with Scizor, so he shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Rotom-A - Annoying. If my own Rotom doesn't take him out, my best option is to try and stall with Cradily, or revenge kill with Scizor.

Skarmory - Rotom is my best choice here. Overheat should have no problem taking Skarmory out.

Snorlax - Scizor is my best bet here. If he gets the SD, Snorlax shouldn't be too much of a problem with Brick Break. I can also try to outstall him with Cradily, although a possible Earthquake can get rid of that option. Rotom can also stop him in his tracks if he doesn't pack Crunch, because Rotom isn't affected by Body Slam and Earthquake, Snorlax's main forms of attack.

Suicune - Might be a bit of a problem. Rotom is my best option, as I can just Thunderbolt it. If Cradily is already set up, I can probably Toxistall it, although it might be annoying if it packs Rest.

Swampert - I have nothing that's SE on him. My best bet is probably Rotom, since I don't need to worry about EQ. Might be a problem for my team, though. I'm considering maybe giving Cradily Seed Bomb to deal with this guy.

Tentacruel - Swampert is probably my best bet here. Earthquake him, and not have to worry about SE hits from Surf and Ice Beam, like Gliscor would.

Vaporeon - Can be a bit annoying at times, although Rotom shouldn't have too much of a problem here.

Zapdos - Stealth Rock helps a lot against this guy. After a DD, Ttar should be able to take him out in one hit with Stone Edge, though, so I'm not too worried about this guy.

 

[Thunda-Moo]

With technician, Bug Bite is stronger than X-Scissor. 60 x 1.5 = 90, while X-Scissor has a power of 80. Also, X has no added effects, while BB can nom on the occasional berry.

Other than that, I have little to add to your team without a threat list.

 

[ZombieSwarm]

Ok, thanks. I added a threat list, if you're willing to rate my team now.

 

[DDRMaster]

To me, it seems like you're trying to do too many things at once and you either focus on Stalling with Cradilly or Sweeping with Tyranitar OR Scizor. If you decide to try and stall with Cradilly, tentacrual would make a nice addition to your team and would give you a Water resist and another Fire and Fighting resist (these are particularly useful for taking out Infernape which will give you trouble if you let it get a Nasty Plot up).

Tentacruel @ Leftovers
Ability: Liquid Ooze
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD

Toxic Spikes
Surf
Sludge Bomb
Rapid Spin/Hidden Power [Electric]

Toxic Spikes will help Cradilly stall since it won't need to hit a lot of Pokemon with Toxic before setting up. Tentacruel can also absorb any Toxic Spikes that your opponent lays, simply by switching in, which would otherwise cripple Cradilly. I slashed HP Electric over Rapid Spin since none of your Pokemon are weak to Stealth Rock and it will help take out Empoleon and make it so Gyrados can't set up on you. I'm not really sure what Pokemon this woud best be swapped in for. You could also try the Sleep Talking one, if you want a Sleep Absorber.

If you decide to sweep with Scizor, you should switch Tyranitar to the Choice Scarf variety (because Scizor won't be able to take out Rotom-A or Zapdos easily) and give Scizor either Iron Head or Night Slash over Bullet Punch. Not much will outspeed Scizor after an Agility, so your better off going with the Flinch rate Iron Head gives or a more powerful attack agianst Ghosts.

If you decide to sweep with Tyranitar, you should switch Scizor to the Choice Band variant. I'm not sure exactly what it would take out, but it would wear down Pokemon with U-turn.

Whatever you decide to do, you should look into getting a Water resistance/immunity, since, right now, I think something like Specs Starmie can 2HKO your entire team.

I hope I was able to help. Your team seems a bit odd in that things like Infernape could probably sweep your whole team if they get a chance to set up, but it doesn't seem like they can do that very easily.

 

[ZombieSwarm]

Thanks for the suggestions! I decided to make Tyranitar into a Choice Scarf set. I'm actually thinking about getting rid of Cradily, though. As much as I love him, there are too many Steel types in OU nowadays. Can you suggest someone to replace him with? I was thinking Bronzong, since he has very good defenses, but I could also go with Starmie, to cover my Water weakness. Suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[DDRMaster]

Maybe you could go with Celebi? You don't exactly need another Bulky Water and Celebi can help counter things like Gyarados and Swampert. If you go with Perish Song, you could probably stop Ninjask, too.