[SET]
name: Sand Rush Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Steelium Z
ability: Sand Rush
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Swords Dance in tandem with Sand Rush allows Excadrill to sweep through offensive teams and break through weakened bulky teams. Iron Head hits Pokemon that resist Earthquake like Tapu Bulu. Steelium Z turns Iron Head into a powerful Corkscrew Crash, which hits Excadrill's usual checks like Tangrowth and Landorus-T for incredible damage when boosted. Excadrill is a great offensive Rapid Spin user, as it is able to force a lot of switches. Rock Slide synergizes well with Earthquake, hitting Flying-types like Tornadus-T, Mega Pinsir, and Zapdos for super effective damage. Rapid Spin's utility is usually overall preferred, though.
Set Details
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Steelium Z provides Excadrill with a 160-Base Power one-time nuke, allowing a +2 Excadrill to overwhelm bulky Pokemon like Tangrowth, defensive Landorus-T, and Zygarde. Leftovers is an option that allows Excadrill to check the likes of Tapu Koko and Clefable more consistently, as well as keeping it out of the range of priority like Mega Mawile's Sucker Punch after taking chip damage. A Jolly nature allows Excadrill to outpace Choice Scarf Greninja in sand, Speed tie with opposing Excadrill, and outspeed the likes of unboosted Zygarde and Modest Hydreigon outside of sand.
Usage Tips
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Excadrill requires sand to successfully sweep or revenge kill, so try to keep your sand setter healthy as long as possible. Attempt to give Excadrill as many turns of sand as possible before you start a sweep, as you will have a better chance of sweeping successfully. Excadrill is capable of heavily weakening the opposing team early- to mid-game and open a path to sweep, but it still requires support. Before attempting a sweep with Excadrill, make sure that its offensive answers like Mega Alakazam and Ash-Greninja are eliminated and that its defensive stops like Celesteela and Landorus-T are weakened enough. Preserve the Z-Move for a bulky threat like Zygarde and Tangrowth to immediately KO them and successfully finish a sweep. You also can use the Z-Move to punch a hole for a teammate if needed. Try to not allow Excadrill to get chipped down, as chip damage can put Excadrill in the range of priority like Mega Mawile's Sucker Punch.
Team Options
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Mega Tyranitar is the best teammate for Excadrill, as it provides sand, which is crucial for Excadrill's success. Mega Tyranitar also sets Stealth Rock, weakens Celesteela, and lures Landorus-T in order to KO it with Ice Punch or Ice Beam. Choice Band Tyranitar can also be used to soften up the opposing team for Excadrill and make a stall matchup easier, while Assault Vest Tyranitar helps check Mega Alakazam and Mega Charizard Y for Excadrill. However, both sets are usually not that optimal because Mega Tyranitar already puts pressure on the opposing team while providing additional utility. Hippowdon is another option for a sand setter, but it's generally not preferred, as it forces the team structure to be very passive. Pokemon like Tangrowth and Toxapex can take on Ash-Greninja, while Pokemon like Celesteela and Assault Vest Magearna can take on Mega Alakazam, both of which are some of Excadrill's best offensive answers. Both Greninja formes are able to beat Landorus-T and weaken Celesteela for Excadrill while setting up Spikes. Protean Greninja also can lure in Tangrowth before weakening it with Gunk Shot so Excadrill won't need to use its Z-Move on it. Clefable can heal off Excadrill's chip damage and keep the sand setter healthy with Wish. Reuniclus can check some of Excadrill's answers like Celesteela, Zygarde, and Landorus-T and use them as setup fodder. Mega Charizard Y appreciates Excadrill's Rapid Spin support, and it threatens some of Excadrill's checks like Celesteela and Tangrowth while also being able to reset sand turns.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Egor, 439341]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jordy, 395754], [lyd, 303291], [LL, 144451]]
- Grammar checked by: [[fleurdyleurse, 195877], [lotiasite, 302985]]
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