Check the attached pic. It was 4 months ago, but i still solo peaked with this sand ground offense team, and with recent ladder testing, i decided Ursaluna just didnt fit.
anyways, this is the team.
https://pokepast.es/4796dd8c3213e808
Hippowdon and Gastrodon provide a valuable defensive backbone for the team due to their refusal to die. Hippo is also a potent rocker in many MUs. Slack and eq are obvious, but the last move is tricky. I prefer yawn for the immediate threat of sleep and forced switches especially to excadrill it creates, but roar is a more immediate option vs setup and can generate rocks and sand chip while bypassing sub. If soundproof kommo-o is a big problem, use whirlwind instead. Special defense evs turn hippo into a very potent blanket wall.
Gastrodon is the other wall as well as the status spreader and water counter. Scald is insane, toxic is crucial, and recover is crucial. Last move should prevent setup, though its up to you if you prefer clear smog’s damage or haze’s effect on steel types. Physical defense allows it to deal with waters better along with its natural special bulk. I believe gastrodon is better than clodsire as a water immunity for the following reasons:
1: it gives a chance vs rain as you can 1v1 mega swampert while clodsire cries vs eq and cant spread burns
2: Clod cant clear stats, so its fodder vs many setup sweepers including eq kommo-o which now 6-0s you if tusk is chipped into clanging scales range and its out of cc range.
The only thing clod does that gastro dosent is beat scarf meowscarada.
Next is CB exca. Set’s standard with dual stabs, its also hazard control vs spikestack and bug and poison. Rock slide is much preferred, only run scissor if you NEED it vs grass or some shit, idk why people run this tbh. Adamant secures more dmg and ohkoes and you alr outspeed what you need to, jolly is only useful outside of sand, which you shouldnt be if youre cleaning or ripping holes with this. CB over SD for immediate dmg, less chance to get killed, and no 4mss issues of rock slide vs spin. Lorb chip is really bad on drill, folks.
Lando incarnate is the special attacker, gravity glue, and breaker. Lando beats physical walls and outspeeds base 100s. EP with gravity, positioned right or led off, trolls many MUs. Sludge wave makes grass playable and fairy waaaaaaay easier. I prefer rock slide to beat zard y and Volcarona immediately, and they are normally surprisingly big problems for ground, and it kills despite timid so as to not sacrifice bulk, cause we got landoTHICC. Focus blast is for tinglu and ferrothorn, who are also problems. Personal pref. EVs are self explanatory.
Mega garchomp is MU Cheese at its finest. SD, SShot once or twice, mega, sweep. Or just mega from the start. The fire coverage is up to you: Fire Blast for Skarm, ferro, and Sciz, or Fire fang for a boostable coverage option. Even jolly, which chomp dosent like sacrificing bulk as it puts it into a lot of 2hko ranges, fire blast nukes its targets, so i prefer it. Evs are self explanatory.
Tusk is spontaneous speed control, surprise, fighting coverage, and glue. Dual stabs and really strong ice coverage are always amazing, and last move is a tossup: Beat flying and bully fire, or have support and murk normal. Always have rock slide on 1 of tusk or lando, or zard and volc will be very not fun. Evs are obvious. You need jolly for speed, but adamant OHKOes ursaluna with Close Combat if you REALLY need to.
I will, in place of replays since its kinda old, put a game plan vs every type.
Bug: play aggressively and use your resources. Conserve gastrodon for araquanid switchin to trade toxic and keep a volc killer. Garchomp sweeps endgame.
Dark: havent played many and its a mixed bag, but definitely take advantage of scarf tusk and speed control. Scarf meows is rough though. So is spinning vs sableye. But your pressure and sandband drill keeps it even.
Dragon: Keep gastro to revenge clear kommo-o. Use gravity turns wisely. Try to set up garchomp. Great tusk surprises kyurem and shit and is a good lead. Hippo is immortal, and exca clicks iron head and resists attacks.
Electric: get lando i in safely, set gravity, drop some bodies. Hippo beats dos on a good day. If not, revenge it. Gastro walls rotom. Scarf tusk bullies koko.
Fairy: Lando bullies, though be careful. Excadrill goes hard. If theres an azu, prevent drum and dont lock yourself into weak choiced attacks. If fini, gastro. Get fast kills. Hippo walls shit again.
Fire: Lead Lando cheeses this mu with rock slide bar cinderace which is easy to deal with and moth which is as well. If not slide, play tusk well and abuse sand and rocks. Click rock moves vs zard: if it becomes zard x and ddances, gastro beats it and hippo and chomp cant switch in but can revenge it.
Fighting: Watch out for breloom, and spore sack garchomp if needed. Rough sometimes bc of valiant, but use your power and speed. Keep hippo and gastro high.
Flying: GRAVITY! Rock slide zard y, preferably lando so you arent choiced. Gravity, sandband exca, rocks, and scarf tusk are you biggest assets. The defensive core walls, and chomp trolls under gravity.
Ghost: Havent fought ghost yet, ill admit. I think the plan would revolve around speed control and walling and sand. Watch for mimikyu though.
Grass: Rough. Sporesack gastrodon to loom, spam your strong attackers, hippo is pretty much just a sand setter sadge. Nerf synthesis with sand, get tempo and always keep it.
Ground dittos: Garchomp cheeses, tusk spins stuff right round baby right round,, gastro beats stuff, but be careful of toxic.
Ice: Excadrill funny, tusk is good, lando bypasses physical walls. Keep hippo healthy and let gastro wall stuff that dosent have freeze dry. Chomp clicks fire stuff and eq till it dies.
Normal: Keep rocks. Tusk surprisingly 1v1s lop defensively and offensively, with knock off it bodies normal harder. Trade kills, keep gastro healthy for pory2, use gravity if needed. Toxic spam is annoying, but you can try to have a couple absorbers, and there is no switchin for ursaluna, just try to 1v1 it at all costs.
Poison: Gravity vs geezing, spam stabs, venu is annoying as hell but you can beat it with ground spam and nerf synthesis with sand. Exca also goes hard. Keep lando alive at all costs. Gravity and special attacks are both massive assets. Dont get cocky and try to 1v1 muk from high hp with lando, go to chomp.
Psychic: havent fought post espathra much. Hippo walls scarf lele, the other variants are too slow to wreck ground. Without slowbro, its a straightforward power struggle. With bro, try to toxic it with gastrodon and outdamage its regen, using rocks vs non boots. Its rough though. However, just spam your attacks and keep lando alive to kill lele and slowbro.
Rock: Spam eq and shit to win. Dont be an idiot vs air balloons and always keep hippo and gastro healthy for random set up balloons and aerodactyl.
Steel: Lando and chomp are your main sources of reliable dmg. This mu tests your coverage choice on chomp, fang beats steela and corv but blast beats skarm and sciz and ferro easier. Conserve health on chomp so sciz cant revenge it after scale shot. Try to chip, scald, or kill the ground immunity, pop balloon tran whenever you can. Also chip ferro if possible. And Never. Get. Cocky.
Water: Vs rain, keep gastro at all costs to wall, toxic, and scald rain mons. Try to get kills and big dmg, not much more you can do besides control tempo. Vs balance, keep gastro for stuff like shifu, spam stabs, try to remove possible mantine, nuke slowbro as much as you can.
Reasons to pick mine alongside the current sample: I tested my team for over a month on ladder and with many improvements and a TON of playtesting, i have peaked ladder, and i have been a practiced ground enthusiast for months. I think this team has what it takes to get anyone, not just me, to high ladder.