EDIT: Thank you everyone for your suggestions, every help is important, and make this team better.
TEAM BULDING PROCESS
This is a sand team so I needed a sand setter. I was looking for some bulkiness, huge power and low speed so I could win the weather wars.
I was absolutely talking about Tyranitar.
Since I wanted a Sandstorm + Trick Room team, I needed a Trick Room setter. So I picked up Musharna. This guy (or girl?) may be outclassed by the typical Bronzong, Dusclops or Cresselia (this last one was one of my favourite alternatives too), but Mushy has something that no one else has: Telepathy.
I was looking for a leading alternative. I can't lead always with Tyranitar and Musharna, my game would be too obious and easy to predict. So I picked up Hitmontop. Let's be clear: This is not the most unpredictable Pokémon, but at least it has access to Fake Out, Intimidate and a powerful Close Combat. Enough for me.
Water Pokémon are always a threat for sand teams so I needed something to deal with them. Then, Gastrodon came in and made my day. Storm Drain, its bulkiness and its typing made it a great choice.
This is the time to chose the sweeper guy. I needed someone for the late game, hard hitting, with descent bulk and hopefully a sand abuser. All these things took me to the natural candidate: Garchomp.
Good. I had my physical sweeper, it's time to pick my special sweeper. Eelektross was my first chioce: Slow, great bulkiness, awesome versatility and an amazing move pool. I decided to make it special, for I can spam Discharge with no regrets thanks to Garchomp's and Gastrodon's ground typing and Mushy's Telepathy.
Of course, nothing is perfect. Although DisQuake and Telepathy + Discharge combos were working amazing, 30% Discharge's paralyzing probability made my Trick Room strategy almost useless. You don't want a paralyzed rival under Trick Room, that would make him faster than you in most of the cases. I started searching for a special sweeper again. Then, Chandelure appeared. Slow enough, great typing and a monstrous spAtk convinced me. Also, it has access to Trick Room (Musharna isn't alone anymore), to Energy Ball (I was needing grass type moves) and Heat Wave, one of its signature moves.
Your suggestions were right. I really needed something to wall dragon and ice moves and Garchomp was a magnet to both. What should I do? I needed a new physical sweeper. Gladly, the user Golden Piloswine showed me Aggron. This guy is an unstoppable wall under Trick Room. Great typing (despite x4 fighting-ground weakness), really awesome defenses and a very good attack power. This guy is one of my new favs.
Damn, this was hard to decide. Adding Aggron made my team even more weaker to fighting type moves and sadly VGC metagame is full of them. So I needed to decide between Tyranitar and Aggron. Aggron is, in fact, one of the most important members of the team right now and Tyranitar was only limited to use Rock Slide and Protect because of the overused fighting type moves. Poor Tyranitar. But thanks anyway. Welcome Hippowdon.
Thanks for everything Mush, but it's time to make some changes. Since this team is arranged for being used under VGC rules, you've got to choose four of your six Pokémon and in the late games my TR setter was no other than Chandelure. Musharna has good bulk, we all know that. But against an Adamant/Brave full off Tyranitar has nothing to do. Even against not STAB Crunch/Night Slash/Sucker Punch from other physical threats this Musharna had a bad time. I tried rearranging its EV spread, but I got no good results. So, looking at other classical Trick Room setters, this blue bell came in.
Very good defense stats, over average HP, great support movepool, an excellent typing and a very useful ability, make this Pokémon a great alternative for Musharna.
Fighting types made me suffer. Hitmontop, Conkeldurr, Scrafty, Terrakion and basically Close Combat destroyed every chance to sweep with Aggron. If my opponent wasn't playing with some fighting type guy, Aggron was a serial killer. But if he/she was, Aggron was dead. Hey! I've got study! No way. If I was not protecting is was simple: Fake Out or Sucker Punch to break my Sturdy and then Close Combat on the same turn.
So, decided to eliminate every fighting weakness in my team, Marowak showed up. Let's try this guy.
Tyranitar (F) @ Chople Berry
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Low Kick
- Protect
Powerfull and slow, for weather wars. STAB Crunch for typical Cresselia, Latias, Latios, Chandelure, Musharna and other bulky threats. STAB Rock Slide for Ice and Flying threats such as Thundurus, Tornadus and some dragons.
Low Kick for type covering and hard hitting dark and steel types that resist both STAB moves. Protect is almost a must in VGC.
Chople Berry helps Tyratinar resisting overused figting type attacks, such as Close Combat and Mach Punch.
Garchomp (F) @ Leftovers/Yache Berry
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 54 HP / 252 Atk / 200 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Claw/Fire Fang
- Earthquake
- Substitute
- Protect
Classical and effective SubGarchomp. Adamant and 252 Atk EVs make this boy mortal as usual. Musharna's Telepathy and Eelektross' Levitate allows Garchomp spaming Earthquake and even form the DisQuake combo with Eelktross. Dragon Claw for STAB, hitting hard Latios, Latias, Hydreigon, Salamence and (no Multiscale) Dragonite, but Fire Fang is always usefull against some grass/bug type Pokémon that resist the almost almighty Earthquake, such as Ferrothorn, Ice HP Yanmega, some Bronzong and others.
Substitute + Leftovers + Sand Veil = Enough said.
Eelektross (F) @ Sitrus Berry/Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SpDef
Quiet Nature (+SAtk, -Spd)
- Discharge
- Flamethrower
- Hidder Power Ice
- Grass Knot/Protect
This guy is my special sweeper under Trick Room. If there's no Trick Room, it is still quite a treath. Good bulk and great SpAtk, excelent type covering and STAB Discharge, making it the second half of my DisQuake combo.
Musharna (F) @ Mental Herb
Trait: Telepathy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 SAtk
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Psychic
- Trick Room
- Helping Hand
- Protect/Safeguard
Not the only Trick Room setter anymore, but not less important. Psychic against fighting ones and STAB. Helping Hand and Protect are my choices, but, depending on the circunstances, Safeguard may be a very good way to handle stall teams with Toxic, Will-o-Wisp, Swagger and/or Thunder Wave.
Telepathy for spaming EQ without getting hit. Mental Herb does a great job against Taunt users, who are going to fall under Trick Room want it or not.
Maybe Cresselia would do a better job, but Cresselia's lack of offensive power determinated my final choice.
Aggron (M) @ Ground Gem / Rock Gem
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SDef / 4 HP
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Rock Slide
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Protect
I must be honest: I didn't like him at first glance. Now, I gladly eat my words everytime he wins me a battle. He's not a better version of Garchomp in any way. He shines with his own light. Awesome defensive stats, great attack stat and slow. Great typing. Just what I needed against dragon and ice type. Despite his x4 weakness to fighting and ground types, this guy endures almost everything. Actually, everything, thanks to its Sturdy ability. Ground Gem to increase Earthquake's power, Rock Gem for Rock Slide.
CURRENT TEAM
DETAILS
Juggernaut
Hippowdon (F) @ Sitrus Berry
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 200 SpDef / 56 Atk
Sassy Nature (+SpDef -Spd)
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang
- Crunch
- Protect
This Hippowdon allows me to set the sand and cover Tyranitars' weaknesses. With Earthquake as its main STAB spread move, Hippowdon can hit hard without sacrifying defenses. Ice Fang for flyings, dragons and almost everything that resists or is immune to EQ. Crunch, for those annoying psychics or ghosts, and Protect for scouting. I was thinking in Passho Berry to resist water type moves, but in that case, good is Gastrondon's Storm Drain to handle them. Leftovers may be useful, but Sitrus Berry's quick health regain is a better way to survive. The EVs spread allows the Hippo to endure almost every Scald in OU and a lot of Surfs.
Namor
Gastrodon (F) @ Rindo Berry
Trait: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Stockpile/Earth Power
- Recover
This guy is crucial against Rain teams and/or any water type Pokémon. Is the perfect counter to Rotom-W, making it useless. Bold nature making it a little more bulky, for spaming Recover. Scald for STAB and Ice Beam for type covering. Rindo Berry in case of grass types.
I finally chose Recover as my stall move and I'm trying Stockpile instead of Earth Power. This is because I already have two strong Earthquake users, so another is not that necesary. This Stockpile + Recover combo is more effective (and annoyer) than Protect and helps Gastro to live longer. Gastrodon's role has became essential since the addition of Aggron, Chandelure and Hippowdon, thinking in the huge amount of rain teams out there in the VGC metagame.
Well, Aggron is not included anymore, but Marowak also suffers with rain.
QuickSilver
Hitmontop (M) @ Fighting Gem
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Fake Out
- Close Combat
- Sucker Punch
- Wide Guard
Standard offensive support Hitmontop. This guy used to help Tyranitar against opposing fighting types, but nowadays helps Marowak with its Intimidate.
Fake Out for Trick Room setting along with Musharna, Sucker Punch for those annoying Psychic and Ghost types, Close Combat + Fighting Gem for a massive damaging STAB hit, OHKOing the most Tyranitar, Terrakion, Hydreigon and many other typical threats in VGC. Wide Guard in case your prediction skills are awesome, Detect for scouting.
Since I'm playing this Hitmontop for a long time, I finally chose Wide Guard.
Havok
Bronzong (F) @ Mental Herb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 68 Def / 188 SpDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Trick Room
- Gyro Ball
- Imprison / Zen Headbutt / Light Screen
- Protect
Being a defensive Pokémon and having Steel as one of your types is a huge advantage and Bronzong knows how to use it well. Brave nature to give its attack a little boost, but its EV spread is more defensive, focusing mainly in its spDef thinking in just two things: Chandelure and Heatran. Setting Trick Room is its main function so Mental Herb is needed here. This guy is taunted and it's dead weight. STAB Gyro Ball as its main offensive move, and Protect as a staple move in VGC. The third slot is making me doubt. Imprison helps me to nullify a lot of stallers or anti-Trick Room on the opposing side. It also prevents the foe from using Protect, leaving them literally unprotected. Zen Headbutt may become my second STAB offensive move, giving Bronzong another way to be important in the team, as an offensive threat. This also implies the rearrange of its EV spread to a more offensive one and Light Screen gives my team a very useful SpDef boost, apreciated by Chandelure and himself.
Marrow
Marowak(F) @ Thick Club
Trait: Lightningrod / Rock Head
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Bonemerang / Double Edge
- Detect
Whitout Tick Club, there would be no reason to use Marowak at all. But its decent bulk, its monstrous attack stat (reaching 289 under VGC rules) and typing make this Pokémon at least an interesting alternative. Being just Ground type eliminates a lot of weaknesses and with that enormous attack a STAB Rock Slide would be greedy. Earthquake as its main STAB offensive and spread move, inflicting massive damage to both rivals (nor flying, nor levitating), Rock Slide for Flying and Ice covering and Detect over Protect because Imprison. But, same as Bronzong, this girl is being tested, so the third move (and its appropiate ability) is causing me trouble.
When I need to hit hard and with STAB without hurting my partner, Bonemerang is the best way to do it. If so, Lightningrod should be the ability, protecting my three non-ground Pokémon from being hit by a single-target electric move. But, if I want more type coverage, abusing its huge attack, Double-Edge is a very good alternative, making Marowak absolutely depending to Rock Head for avoiding recoil damage.
FlameOn!
Chandelure (F) @ Fire Gem
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpAtk / 4 SpDef
Quiet Nature (+SpAtk, -Spd)
- Trick Room
- Heat Wave
- Shadow Ball/Energy Ball
- Protect
The chandelier is one of my favourite Pokémon (with Aggron -not anymore- and Gastrodon) in the team. The tremendous power of Fire Gem + Heat Wave can bring down almost everything that don't resists it or at least inflict a lot of damage. I thought in Focus Sash instead of Fire Gem, but under Hippowdon's sand, Chandelure's typing (not Rock, Ground or Steel) would make the sash absolutely useless. Those 252 EVs in HP allows Chandelure to resist many Rock Slides, Scalds and/or Earthquakes and set Trick Room. Thanks to its typing and ability, it's immune to Fake Out and other Heat Waves. Maybe I could sacrifice some EVs on the SpAtk to improve its SpDef or its Def, but I would really miss those points.
I'm still not sure about Shadow Ball or Energy Ball. I know that Shadow Ball gains STAB, but sometimes a grass type move may be very helpfull. At the moment, I stay with Shadow Ball, just for the STAB.
Team usage / Sinergy
To lead, Hitmontop is a must in my team. You can use it with Chandelure, Bronzong and Hippowdon. Chandelure and Bronzong are obvious thinking in its Trick Room. Allows Hippowdon to set the sand and to scout without any worries. Also, Hitmontop may help in defensive ways with its Wide Guard and Sucker Punch, keeping the team safe of spread moves and eliminating dying foes. This may be useful when paired with Gastrodon since Gastro needs some covering to set its Stockpile without issues.
Gastrondon is useful at anytime and almost against any trainer or strategy. I commonly use him along with Chandelure, absorbing and redirecting water type moves aimed to Chandelure to itself. This situation gives Chandelure the chance to eliminate water types using Energy Ball. So works viceversa; Chandelure sweeps those grass type Pokémon that try to kill Gastro, keeping it safe.
Gastrodon is also useful along with Marowak or Hippowdon, for the same reason that is along with Chadelure, its awesome ability Storm Drain. Gastrodon's Scald is particularly useful when paired with Marowak because of the burns that it may cause. Those burns cuts foe's attack, helping Marowak against physical sweepers, increasing its bulk.