Well, I haven't played Pokemon competitively (or indeed at all) for a while. However, now that HG and SS have come out, I thought now would be a good time to get back into competitive play. This team is a Sandstorm team. I'd like to call it offensive, but I have my doubts about how offensive it really is. I'm a little rusty, so all fixes are appreciated greatly.
Team Building
Obviously, I had firstly decided to build a sandstorm team. The first Pokemon i chose was Tyranitar. An obvious choice at it is the pokemon which would set up a sandstorm as well as acting as my physical sweeper. I don't really like choice sets in general, although on some pokes choice items are very useful. I decided to go for DDTar as with good prediction, it could easily get a Dragon Dance in and then sweep, whilst still having the choice between attacks.
I wanted something that could take the hits Tyranitar couldn't, namely Ground, Fighting and Steel, as well as Grass, Bug and Water to a lesser extent. I also wanted some kind of physical wall. I chose Skarmory as it can take physical attacks from all the aforementioned types, resisting most of them. Skarmory can also phaze and set up spikes, which was an added bonus.
Next up, I needed something that could take special attacks, as I realised that the Special Defense boost from Sandstorm on Tyranitar would not be enough to stop more powerful special attackers, such as SpecsLatias. Tentacruel was an ideal special wall as it covered Skarmory's Fire weakness as well as being able to take Surfs from special sweepers which could OHKO TTar and most likely 2HKO Skarm. Tentacruel can also take physical hits, acting as a backup physical wall and brings support from Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin to my team as well as absorbing enemy Toxic Spikes.
I thought that Tentacruel and Skarmory would be enough for the defensive side of the team, so I decided to move on to the offensive side of the team, which was the main part. Since I already had one physical sweeper on my team, I decided it was time for a special sweeper. I needed one that could take a few hits, yet still have high speed and offensive stats necessary to sweep through an entire team. I decided on one of the most feared special sweepers in the OU meta, SpecsLatias. It covers Skarmory and Blissey's electric weakness and can OHKO or 2HKO practically anything that counters my other pokemon.
After having decided on two walls and two sweepers for my team, I realised I hadn't chosen a Lead yet. I decided on Metagross, as he can set up SR as well as counter plenty of other leads. Metagross also acts as a secondary physical attacker if need be. Metagross' typing and general bulkiness covers many of the rest of the team's weaknesses.
I needed to decide on a final member for my team. I wanted another attacker, one that could eliminate plenty of common threats in the OU meta. I also wanted a mixed or special atacker if possible, as 3 pure physical attackers is overkill in my opinion. Enter Life Orb Heatran. He has great type coverage and destroys the annoying Scizor with STAB Fire Blast and rounds off my team nicely.
Added a Choice Scarf to Heatran so it can act as a revenge killer. Also added a defensive SubCM Suicune to replace Tentacruel as Tentacruel wasn't adding much to the team.
Well, this ends my team building section. Onto a more in-depth look at the members of my team.
An In-depth Look at the Team
Metagross@Occa Berry
Ability: Clear Body
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252HP/232Atk/12Def/12Spe
Tyranitar@Babiri Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 4HP/252Atk/252Spe
DDTar! My physical sweeper. If you'd bothered to read the Team Building section, you'd know that I don't like choice sets in most cases (see next pokemon). You'd be surprised at how many people expect ScarfTar or CBTar, letting me get in a Dragon Dance, maybe 2 if I'm lucky. With 2 DDs under its belt, Tyranitar is an absolute beast and will usually proceed to sweep the entire team with it's two STAB moves. The EV spread and nature allow it to outspeed revenge killers such as Infernape and Latias after one DD.Thanks to the Babiri Berry, TTar can take a Bullet Punch, then OHKO it with Fire Punch. +1 Stone Edge destroys Gyarados and Mence easily. Crunch is great for getting rid of Rotom-A, other Ghosts and Psychic-types, which can counter most of the pokemon on my team although ScarfGar, though I've (thankfully) never encountered it with this team, could be a problem.
Latias@Choice Specs
Ability:Levitate
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 4HP/252SpA/252Spe
Don't let the picture fool you. This pokemon is an absolute MONSTER. It can mow through just about anything not named Blissey with STAB Draco Meteor. Surf hits Steel-types which resist Draco Meteor for neutral damage and Thunderbolt deals with pesky Bulky Waters (Bar Swampert) and Gyarados. Trick is there for when Latias can forgo the extra power in lieu of added versatility. Tricking Specs onto annoying special walls *cough* Blissey *cough* and other support pokemon really screws them up. Latias has great synergy with TTar as it destroys those physical walls Tyranitar really hates with ease. Latias' decent defensive stats are also helpful for the team in terms of switching in to take attacks. The EV spread and Timid nature allow Latias to outspeed positive natured base 100 Spe Pokemon, especially Salamence, who does not appreciate being hit by Specs-boosted Super Effective STAB Draco Meteor.
Heatran@Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SpD)
EVs: 4HP/252SpA/252Spe
My revenge killer. Heatran is great for countering Scizor and its fellow Steels (especially Bronzong) with STAB Fire Blast. Celebi is also reduced to ashes by Fire Blast, whilst other Pokemon still take a fair amount of damage from it. Earth Power provides extra type coverage and Dragon Pulse is there to KO the Dragons as well as providing great coverage. Ground and Rock types that come in hoping to destroy Heatran with Earthquake are also beaten. Explosion is there to put a big dent (at the very least) in anything threatening the team. Heatran LOVES coming in on Fire Blasts aimed at Skarmory, then sweeping.
Skarmory@Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
EVs: 252HP/64Atk/168Def/24Spe
Now onto the Defensive section. Skarmory acts as my physical wall, taking hits which my sweepers can't. The Shed Shell is to escape the evil Magnezone. Can lay down spikes for extra damage upon entry, especially when combined with Stealth Rock. Whirlwind is great for phazing and Roost is to heal. With 64 EVs in Attack, Skarmory can 2HKO Offensive Gyarados after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO Infernape if it switches in. The rest of the EVs max out its HP and Def obviously, but there are some extra EVs in Speed to outspeed some of the more annoying Pokemon in its speed tier.
Suicune@Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 252HP/40SpA/216Spe
The final Pokemon. Suicune is my Bulky Water, being able to take special hits with its high HP and base SpD, especially after a Calm Mind or two. It can also take a few physical hits because of its naturally high Defense. 252HP EVs creates 101HP Substitutes, being able to take Seismic tosses from Blissey. 216 Speed EVs also allow it to outspeed Jolly Mamoswine. Overall, it rounds off the team nicely, being able to contribute offensively and defensively.
Well, thats my team. It has done well so far, but could do with some tweaks.
Final Look at my team
Footnotes:
If anybody wants it, I'll add a threat list.
Changes:
Replaced Tentacruel with Suicune, as Tentacruel didn't contribute much to the team.
Added a Choice Scarf to Heatran, to act as a revenge killer.
Changed EV spreads for Metagross and Skarmory, allowing them to outspeed some more threats.
Team Building
Obviously, I had firstly decided to build a sandstorm team. The first Pokemon i chose was Tyranitar. An obvious choice at it is the pokemon which would set up a sandstorm as well as acting as my physical sweeper. I don't really like choice sets in general, although on some pokes choice items are very useful. I decided to go for DDTar as with good prediction, it could easily get a Dragon Dance in and then sweep, whilst still having the choice between attacks.
I wanted something that could take the hits Tyranitar couldn't, namely Ground, Fighting and Steel, as well as Grass, Bug and Water to a lesser extent. I also wanted some kind of physical wall. I chose Skarmory as it can take physical attacks from all the aforementioned types, resisting most of them. Skarmory can also phaze and set up spikes, which was an added bonus.
Next up, I needed something that could take special attacks, as I realised that the Special Defense boost from Sandstorm on Tyranitar would not be enough to stop more powerful special attackers, such as SpecsLatias. Tentacruel was an ideal special wall as it covered Skarmory's Fire weakness as well as being able to take Surfs from special sweepers which could OHKO TTar and most likely 2HKO Skarm. Tentacruel can also take physical hits, acting as a backup physical wall and brings support from Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin to my team as well as absorbing enemy Toxic Spikes.
I thought that Tentacruel and Skarmory would be enough for the defensive side of the team, so I decided to move on to the offensive side of the team, which was the main part. Since I already had one physical sweeper on my team, I decided it was time for a special sweeper. I needed one that could take a few hits, yet still have high speed and offensive stats necessary to sweep through an entire team. I decided on one of the most feared special sweepers in the OU meta, SpecsLatias. It covers Skarmory and Blissey's electric weakness and can OHKO or 2HKO practically anything that counters my other pokemon.
After having decided on two walls and two sweepers for my team, I realised I hadn't chosen a Lead yet. I decided on Metagross, as he can set up SR as well as counter plenty of other leads. Metagross also acts as a secondary physical attacker if need be. Metagross' typing and general bulkiness covers many of the rest of the team's weaknesses.
I needed to decide on a final member for my team. I wanted another attacker, one that could eliminate plenty of common threats in the OU meta. I also wanted a mixed or special atacker if possible, as 3 pure physical attackers is overkill in my opinion. Enter Life Orb Heatran. He has great type coverage and destroys the annoying Scizor with STAB Fire Blast and rounds off my team nicely.
Added a Choice Scarf to Heatran so it can act as a revenge killer. Also added a defensive SubCM Suicune to replace Tentacruel as Tentacruel wasn't adding much to the team.
Well, this ends my team building section. Onto a more in-depth look at the members of my team.
An In-depth Look at the Team
Metagross@Occa Berry
Ability: Clear Body
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252HP/232Atk/12Def/12Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Bullet Punch
- Explosion
Tyranitar@Babiri Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 4HP/252Atk/252Spe
- Dragon Dance
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Fire Punch
DDTar! My physical sweeper. If you'd bothered to read the Team Building section, you'd know that I don't like choice sets in most cases (see next pokemon). You'd be surprised at how many people expect ScarfTar or CBTar, letting me get in a Dragon Dance, maybe 2 if I'm lucky. With 2 DDs under its belt, Tyranitar is an absolute beast and will usually proceed to sweep the entire team with it's two STAB moves. The EV spread and nature allow it to outspeed revenge killers such as Infernape and Latias after one DD.Thanks to the Babiri Berry, TTar can take a Bullet Punch, then OHKO it with Fire Punch. +1 Stone Edge destroys Gyarados and Mence easily. Crunch is great for getting rid of Rotom-A, other Ghosts and Psychic-types, which can counter most of the pokemon on my team although ScarfGar, though I've (thankfully) never encountered it with this team, could be a problem.
Latias@Choice Specs
Ability:Levitate
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 4HP/252SpA/252Spe
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
Don't let the picture fool you. This pokemon is an absolute MONSTER. It can mow through just about anything not named Blissey with STAB Draco Meteor. Surf hits Steel-types which resist Draco Meteor for neutral damage and Thunderbolt deals with pesky Bulky Waters (Bar Swampert) and Gyarados. Trick is there for when Latias can forgo the extra power in lieu of added versatility. Tricking Specs onto annoying special walls *cough* Blissey *cough* and other support pokemon really screws them up. Latias has great synergy with TTar as it destroys those physical walls Tyranitar really hates with ease. Latias' decent defensive stats are also helpful for the team in terms of switching in to take attacks. The EV spread and Timid nature allow Latias to outspeed positive natured base 100 Spe Pokemon, especially Salamence, who does not appreciate being hit by Specs-boosted Super Effective STAB Draco Meteor.
Heatran@Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SpD)
EVs: 4HP/252SpA/252Spe
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Dragon Pulse
- Explosion
My revenge killer. Heatran is great for countering Scizor and its fellow Steels (especially Bronzong) with STAB Fire Blast. Celebi is also reduced to ashes by Fire Blast, whilst other Pokemon still take a fair amount of damage from it. Earth Power provides extra type coverage and Dragon Pulse is there to KO the Dragons as well as providing great coverage. Ground and Rock types that come in hoping to destroy Heatran with Earthquake are also beaten. Explosion is there to put a big dent (at the very least) in anything threatening the team. Heatran LOVES coming in on Fire Blasts aimed at Skarmory, then sweeping.
Skarmory@Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
EVs: 252HP/64Atk/168Def/24Spe
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
Now onto the Defensive section. Skarmory acts as my physical wall, taking hits which my sweepers can't. The Shed Shell is to escape the evil Magnezone. Can lay down spikes for extra damage upon entry, especially when combined with Stealth Rock. Whirlwind is great for phazing and Roost is to heal. With 64 EVs in Attack, Skarmory can 2HKO Offensive Gyarados after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO Infernape if it switches in. The rest of the EVs max out its HP and Def obviously, but there are some extra EVs in Speed to outspeed some of the more annoying Pokemon in its speed tier.
Suicune@Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 252HP/40SpA/216Spe
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Ice Beam
The final Pokemon. Suicune is my Bulky Water, being able to take special hits with its high HP and base SpD, especially after a Calm Mind or two. It can also take a few physical hits because of its naturally high Defense. 252HP EVs creates 101HP Substitutes, being able to take Seismic tosses from Blissey. 216 Speed EVs also allow it to outspeed Jolly Mamoswine. Overall, it rounds off the team nicely, being able to contribute offensively and defensively.
Well, thats my team. It has done well so far, but could do with some tweaks.
Final Look at my team
Footnotes:
If anybody wants it, I'll add a threat list.
Changes:
Replaced Tentacruel with Suicune, as Tentacruel didn't contribute much to the team.
Added a Choice Scarf to Heatran, to act as a revenge killer.
Changed EV spreads for Metagross and Skarmory, allowing them to outspeed some more threats.
