PLS RATE MY SANDSTORM TEAM

Hippowdon@Leftovers
Sand Stream
Impish
252Hp/168Def/88SpDef
-Earthquake
-Roar
-Slack Off
-Stealth Rock
My sandstorm starter, if I see anything that should threaten such a risky lead I will switch to the proper counter; it can roar and tank it off with any one who dares to oppose it

Flygon@Choice Scarf
Levitate
Adamant
4Hp/252Atk/252Spe

-Earthquake
-Fire Punch
-Outrage
-U-turn
My choice scarfer that can scout with u-turn or start sweeping with its boosted speed

Scizor@Choice Band
Technician
Adamant
248Hp/252Atk/8Spe
-Bullet Punch
-Pursuit
-Superpower
-U-turn
Physical sweeper with evs on hp to aid its survival in the midst of a dangerous battle

Cacturne@Leftovers
Sand Veil
Adamant
204Hp/252Atk/52Spe
-Leech Seed
-Seed Bomb
-Substitute
-Sucker Punch
My subseeder that would hopefully help by giving additional healing to my team

Magnezone@Leftovers
Magnet Pull
Timid
40Hp/216Spe/252SpAtk
-Hidden Power (Fire)
-Magnet Rise
-Substitute
-Thunderbolt
My steel killer that can get rid off any steel pokemon that may threaten my team, with its resistances to so many types I reckon I made the right choice having him in my team.

Lucario@Choice Specs
Inner Focus
Modest
4Hp/252SpA/252Spe
-Aura Sphere
-Hidden Power (Rock)
-Shadow Ball
-Vacuum Wave
My special sweeper with choice specs, it should finish off what others in my team could not

I hope this team is good enough to deserve all of your ratings, I am sure it can still be improved on many places; please do help in making this sandstorm team better, thank you!!!

Having three choice item users is generally a bad idea.

Aura, I'm not allowed to give big rates. It said so in the "changes" thread, but, to prevent deletion:


Having three choice users is bad because it forces you to switch more often, causing your pokes to get weared (wore?) down faster = quicker death = loss (usually) = bad.

gamer691 said:

Having three choice item users is generally a bad idea.

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You have to explain why it's a bad idea and what he should do to change it, otherwise you're not helping a whole lot =/

Lead with Swampert instead of T-Tar and change the EV spread to 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Att, otherwise you might not get a change to set up and it's a good idea to get SR up as early as possible.

The Ubers EV spread of 200 HP / 56 Att / 252 Sp Def on Scizor is only useful in Ubers really, you need all of that attack for him to be effective in OU. Use 248 HP / 252 Attack / 8 Speed.

Not too many weaks at first glance, I may come back later to spot some threats \o/

You don't have anything to check / counter Lucario, or any Fighting-type actually. I suggest using possibly a Gliscor > Swampert since you already have Lucario to handle Tyranitar (who is also checked by Gliscor decently), and Gliscor is also a Ground-type so you don't lose an Electric immunity (even though you have enough). Gliscor also benefits from sandstorm if you choose to give it Sand Veil.

Gliscor @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil / Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP / 36 Def / 220 Speed
Nature: Jolly
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt / U-turn / Stone Edge

EVs outrun all variants of Lucario bar Scarf or Salac, as well as standard Gliscor. Taunt is to stop setting up, so it helps with Pokemon like Sub Machamp, U-turn is for scouting switches which is very handy sometimes, and Stone Edge is to hit Zapdos, Gyarados and Salamence on the switch, etc. Hyper Cutter is good if you use Stone Edge so Gyarados and Salamence's Intimidate doesn't lower your Attack.

Thanks for all the help!
I really appreciate it, but if I do have Gliscor instead of Swampert I would have a major ice weakness, wouldn't I?

AQUILINUS said:

Thanks for all the help!
I really appreciate it, but if I do have Gliscor instead of Swampert I would have a major ice weakness, wouldn't I?

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Scizor and Tyranitar can both easily come in on Ice attacks, and even Lucario if you need to. As long as you predict well you should be ok.

Thanks and Tyranitar actually has a weakness to ice.
But thanks a lot anyways!!!
^^

AQUILINUS said:

Thanks and Tyranitar actually has a weakness to ice.
But thanks a lot anyways!!!
^^

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No Tyranitar doesnt, its rock type. Rock =/= weak to ice.

That was what I meant, ice is Tyranitar's weakness, sorry for the confusion.
If it is possible, could more people come and rate and improve my team?
I would appreciate it, thanks a lot!

Definately need to change the ev's on scizor and swampert. Otherwise DD Salamence will run through your team.

I would recommend running Hippowdon as your starter as he can set up SS, roar, and set up SR. Thus freeing up another team slot as you could remove either TTar or Swampert. Then you could add maybe Cradily, who would make a nice special wall alongside Hippowdon as your physical wall

the only one i see that needs improvement is your starmie
personaly i would have taught it cosmic power (raising sp. def and def. x2) and toxic (starting at 1/16 hp and doubling everyturn)
starmie is a defensive wall and with cosmic power and e.v. trained in defence has the capability to be unstoppable.

Thanks for the help everyone!
Um, OGthugster94, I dont have a Starmie on my team, it is a sandstorm team, maybe u meant to post to another thread...

AlphaOmegaTronWarriorSupreme said:

Ttar leads are stupid. Hippo is the better lead to choose from in SS teams. It can set up SR and SS. That way, you don't need SS on Pert.
Cacturne seems too out place. You need something like a CB Cleffa to generate better physical offense.

ROCK ON.

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I agree with this poster, except for the CB Cleffa thing.

Cacturne does seem out of place and I feel like you can change it out for a Celebi and then make Lucario a MixedCario with Agility, HP Ice, Shadow Ball and Close Combat.

I feel like that, while making a Hippo lead over Ttar, would make this team more effective.

I am using cacturne for its sand veil ability and it is a pretty decent pkmn,
with leech seed and seed bomb it would make grass/water types switch away, giving me chance to scout for the opponent's team or set up substitute.

Please do help to improve it in any way possible, thanks!

This team is Specs Heatran weak, since Fire Blast / HP Ice pretty much rip this team apart and beat you 6-0

If you're really thinking of using Cacturne (Breloom is much better, imo), then at least use Focus Punch > Sucker Punch, so you can make better use of your Subs.

As Aura said before, go with the 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Speed EV spread on Scizor, as that allows you to survive a Draco Meteor from a Latias / Mence switch in.

Also, Flygon wants Fire Punch > Dragon Claw for better coverage.

If the opponent decides to switch to a Heatran, with or without Specs, I am sure I can predict when he/she will do it.

Even if I can't, at the most I will lose a Pokemon, then switch to Scarf Flygon who can outspeed Heatran and use Earthquake to take it out; if I can predict when/how he makes his move I can just switch Flygon in and take it out.

As for Cacturne, the Subs aren't fit for him to use for a SubPunch, with his Hp/Def/SpDef/Spe taken into account the Sub will just be taken down before I can use Focus Punch, then later taking it out anyway; from my personal experience, many of my opponents have have lost thinking that Cacturne has Focus Punch and that they can take it out straight away with Ice Beam/Blizzard, but Sucker Punch has won me battles before, against Starmie, Gengar and all the other threats who think they can take out a NU Pokemon.

I might plan to use Breloom, maybe sometime after Cacturne has reached its limits of capabilities.

Thanks for all the other advices though, I really appreciate it; if there are any other glaringly obvious flaws that MUST be rectified, please tell me about it.

Please do help improve it,

THANKS

No you are specs/scarf Heatran weak because it 2hko's your entire team at worst.


39.1% - 46% Scarf Fire Blast vs Flygon.
50.7% - 59.6% LO Fire Blast vs Flygon
64.2% - 75.5% Specs Fire Blast vs Flygon

And i you are on the PC server, Eruption has a good chance to OHKO from specs.

Flygon is NOT a good Heatran counter or check.

A. Its way too easy to wear down.
B. The weakest Fire Blast (from the scarfer) has a good chance to 2HKO with SR up.

That and if Flygon gets Pursuited or takes ~50% damage, forget about it. The rest of your team gets pooped on.

This is kinda one of those silly "ALL MY POKEMON HAVE TO BE IMMUNE TO THE WEATHER" teams this is not the case and just limits your team and makes you metagame weak. Diversify please.

Honestly though when you lose to Low Kick @ you know you are a metagame weak team.

Well, thanks for the tip on diversifying; now that u mention it please comment on the Pokemon that I intend to replace Magnezone with:

-Swampert
-Omastar
-Kabutops

Please post your opinions in, if the Pokemon above aren't good enough, please do post in your ideas on the ideal Pokemon to fill in the spot.

THANKS

You can't really replace Magnezone, as he serves to be your main check to Gyarados, which lols at your team otherwise.

If anything, replace Cacturne with a CursePert set, since you have nothing that can set up either.

CB Scizor will never be classed as a "Sweeper", unless its the SD set. Change Lucario to a Physical sweeper set (Swords Dance / Extremespeed / Close Combat / [Crunch/Ice Punch]) for physical-ness.

I honestly don't know what Flygon is here for. Seems to me like it's meant to take out Latias and Mence. Use Infernape over it.

@ Life Orb
Naive Nature
64 Atk, 252 SpA, 192 Speed
- Fire Blast
- Close Combat
- HP Ice
- Grass Knot
Helps to take out Latias / Mence and help with Swampert, Heatran etc.

Since Flygon's out of the picture, make Magnezone scarfed.

@ Choice Scarf
Magnet Pull
Naive Nature
4 Atk, 252 HP, 252 Speed
- Thunderbolt
- HP Fire
- Flash Cannon
- Explosion
Acts as your main check to Gyarados, as well as being able to take out Scizor, Forretress and Skarmory easier.

Now your tem should look like this.
- Lead Hippowdon
- CursePert
- CB Scizor
- Scarf Magnezone
- SD Luke
- MixNape

Magoezone is a sucky check to Gyarados since you know, Gyarados kinda outspeeds and OHKO's it after a boost lol

Also wtf how in the blue hell doe ape take out Latias ?.? Latias sets up on it, heck it even lol's at HP Ice even with no Calm Minds.