Team Spikestorm

[ForTheSwarm]

This is my first OU team. It is a balanced team- it can stall, but it can also kill.
The name is a combination of Sandstorm and Spikes, if you couldn't tell.



Weaknesses:
The team is very susceptible to Ground and Fighting attacks. If Hippowdon goes down, the rest of the team does too, usually.
I also have a difficult time breaking through heavy stall teams.
Finally, my 3 Choice Scarf users forces me to switch very often.

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Vanguard (Forretress) (M) @ Shed Shell
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/112 Atk/144 Def
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Explosion
- Gyro Ball
- Rapid Spin
- Spikes
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This is my lead in.

Unless I'm facing a fire type, I usually attempt to lay down as many layers of spikes as I can before either switching, dying, or exploding.

If I DO face a fire (Infernape, etc.), I'll just switch to Heatran, hopefully gaining the Flash Fire boost.

If I'm taunted, I'll Gyro Ball them if appropriate (works wonders against Weavil and Aerodactyl), Rapid Spin their entry hazards away (incidentally, this will also finish off Sash Aero if he stayed in to SR), then switch (or explode).

After he is switched out, I will usually switch back to Forretress to either clear out Choice Scarf choices or clear out hazards (or both), and if he somehow survives, Explode.

Trick scarf users are annoying, but I can always switch out. Spikes stack, anyways. :P

Moveset:
Fairly standard.

Explosion is for those not suspectible to Gyro Ball (slow/resistant pokemon), as well as a last-ditch move.
Gyro Ball is for fast Taunters (Azelf, Aerodactyl, etc.). Can also do serious damage to ScarfTar.
Rapid Spin- self-explanatory.
Spikes- self-explanatory.

Possible changes:
Give it Payback

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Meltdown (Heatran) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Rash nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Lava Plume
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Explosion
---

This is my special attacker #1.

I can usually bait a Fire attackers with Forretress, Magnezone, or Metagross, netting me a Flash Fire boost.

A great revenge killer with his speed.

Moveset:
Lava Plume: Fire damage easily OHKO pokemon that are weak to it. If I'm faster, I'll be able to kill Scizor before he kills me. Used over Fire Blast for the burn.
Earthquake: This is for killing off Fire types that have been baited.
Hidden Power Electric: This also can kill Steels off, but is mainly to surprise Water types that try to switch in on me (Gyarados).
Explosion: I will use this to try and kill off something dangerous, such as Salamence.

Possible changes:
Replace Lava Plume with Fire Blast

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Tyrant (Tyranitar) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
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This is my physical attacker #1.

I'll usually only switch into him on a KO. This guy needs to live as long as he can.

This guy can OHKO or 2HKO almost anything.

Moveset:
Standard.
Pursuit/Crunch really help against Dusknoir, Celebi, and Gengar, although the latter usually OHKOs with Focus Blast.
Earthquake for those weak to it.
Stone Edge is my secondary Salamence/Gyarados killer.

Possible changes:
Replace Pursuit or Crunch with another move for better type coverage

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Fatty (Hippowdon) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP/124 Atk/132 Def
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Superpower
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
- Ice Fang
---

This is my physical wall. He's also a good status absorber with Rest.

When a threatening type appears (such as Ground or Fighting), I'll switch to him.

Though he's a wall, he still does decent damage when he makes a SE attack.

Moveset:
Rest/Sleep Talk- for walling. Also helps against status-ers, although they aren't common.
Ice Fang- This is for type coverage, especially against Gliscor and Salamence. It's usually a nasty surprise. Can OHKO or 2HKO both.
Superpower- This is for type coverage, especially against Blissey and Tyranitar.

Possible changes:
EV spread to more defensive (less atk, more def)
Change Superpower and Ice Fang

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Metaboss (Metagross) @ Life Orb
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 112 HP/252 Atk/8 Def/136 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Agility
- Earthquake
- Aerial Ace
---

This is my physical attacker #2.

It's an Agiligross. Nothing else to say. I switch into him on a non-threatening foe.

EVs:
Generic EV spread, with a little extra speed out of defense to outrun other agiligrosses.

Moveset:
Meteor Mash- Main damaging move. Accuracy leaves a bit to be desired, however.
Agility- It's agiligross.
Earthquake- If Meteor Mash wouldn't be effective, I use Earthquake.
Aerial Ace- This is for killing pesky grass and fighting types (especially Breloom). It's usually a nasty surprise.

Possible changes:
LO->something else? The recoil is nasty.
Aerial Ace to Hidden Power Flying (would it do more damage?)

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Shocker (Magnezone) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Explosion
- Hidden Power [Ice]
---

This is my special attacker 2. This is my main water killer.

He usually manages to kill at least one pokemon per match.

Moveset:
Thunderbolt: THE water killer. The high speed of this Magnezone almost always ensures him getting first strike. Gyarados cries at this.
Flash Cannon: This is Magnezone's secondary attack, in case Thunderbolt would be ineffective (i.e. Tyranitar).
Explosion: I will use this to kill off something dangerous, or as a last ditch move.
Hidden Power Ice: Surprises the Ground types that try to kill it.

Possible changes:
Change item for more flexibility



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MAIN THREATS:

Breloom- Spore Puncher
I hate this. A lot. My only hope is for Metagross or Heatran to get lucky and wake up on their first turn.

Blissey- Wall
Annoying to face. Metagross and Tyranitar can usually take her down though.

Gengar- Focus Blaster
Tyranitar could kill Gengar if he outsped him, which he almost never does. Therefore, my usual method of dealing with him is to pray for a miss. Hippowdon walls Gengar decently, however. He will die, but usually not before Sand Stream brings Gengar into OHKO range for Magnezone.

Hippowdon- Phazer/Wall
I have nothing effective against him except Ice Fang and HP Ice. In the former case, it usually doesn't do enough damage. In the latter, since it doesn't OHKO Hippo, the enemy Hippo could Earthquake for the OHKO.

Ludicolo-
Metagross can 2HKO with Aerial Ace. If he doesn't die first.

Azelf- Lead
I will almost always just explode on this annoying poke.

Gyarados- DD
He DDs on a switch, then tears through my team. The +1 speed usually lets him outspeed Magnezone. If Magnezone can survive one attack, however, Gyarados dies. Painfully.

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So yeah. Thanks for reading.

 

[Scimjara]

Hey FTS,

Intresting team you have yourself there the movesets for the pokemon's are quite unusual.

For Metagross instead of Aerial ace give it thunder punch because quite frankly it can get walled by a gyarados which can set up on it. Replace thunder punch for aerial ace.

If you didn't realise swampert side blocks your team and there is nothing that can actually stop it beside you exploding and trying to waste pokes to take out a pert.
You might aswell give magnezone hp grass.

GL with the team

 

[bittman]

Without even going into specific threats, you're team has very few safe switch in's to some common types.

Four of your pokemon are weak to Ground (and thus the deadly Earthquake), and nothing resists it.

Three of your pokemon are weak to Fighting, and nothing resists it.

Three of your pokemon are weak to water, and, you guessed it, nothing resists it.

I see that you've tried to maximise your sandstorm type resistance, but having another type of poke in there (such as a ghost or flying perhaps?) would make sure that something with a half decent movepool won't sweep through you.

And that's just a general comment on your team without suggesting what changes to make. You are perhaps too reliant on Hippodown, and an offensive DD Gyarados with EQ would rip your team into pieces most likely.

 

[ginganinja]

Lol dude you have forgooten to get a SPin BLocker. Your hazards will be gone in a single turn if your oponient carries a spinner.

Firstly, drop Forretress for a Skarmory which can set up spikes, has recovery, gives you and Eartyhquake immunity and can phaze to get extra damage on your opponents team.

Next up I suggest a REst talk Gyarados over Hippowdon, authough Hippowdon has more bulk, you get another ground immine pokemon and intimidate which knocks down an opponient s attack down one stage. Gives you a ressitance to water.

Next you need a spin Blocker. I suggest a Rest talk Rotom since it can take hits and prevent your Hazards from being spun away.

Heatran: I am not sure why the hell you have Earthquake on Heatran since Earthpower comes of its much highier SpA stat. I suggest dropping the scarf for a Substitute Heatran instead which puts more pressure on your oponient to switch out allowing you to get more hazard damage.

Metagross: Gve it Zen Headbutt over Aeiral Ace since Zen Headbutt hits much harder and can 2KO gyardos. It also helps against Rotom A.

Magnetzone is nice but you are not really troubled by Sczior, you need a lead therefore I suggest a Celebi Lead whcih can set up SR and still handle Bulky waters for you via Grass KNot or Leaf Storm. It also make for a nice Breloom check.

Have a Nice Day!