OU Sand RMT: Advice needed

Hello PokeCommunity. This is my first post here and I really need some advice on this team that I made. It's an offensive sandstorm team for OU and since I made it, it's had it's rough edges but it's still fun to use. The purpose of this RMT is not just to rate my team, but to buff out those rough edges and make the team more fun to use. I would like useful criticism; be helpful but don't hostilely point out blatantly obvious flaws. I know that the team is not that excellent. I've always struggled with building teams in OU. I really want this team to work. Without further ado, here it is:


Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Sassy Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Pursuit
- Fire Blast
- Stone Edge
Tyranitar is used for obvious reasons: setting up sandstorm and Stealth Rock. I choose the specially defensive set to combat other weather setters better, and also serve as the team's only tank. He can easily set up Stealth Rock, multiple times if needed and has the special defense to tank nearly any special hit. I use him over Hippowdon because T-tar is generally more offensive and can keep the momentum going. He still hits decently hard even though there is minimal investment in his offenses.

Stoutland @ Life Orb
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Crunch
- Wild Charge
- Superpower
My next guy is Stoutland. He's an extremely underrated threat in this current metagame, and he does some pretty good work quite often. Mainly you'll see the Life Orb, and think Choice Band is superior. You may think what you want, but I prefer the Life Orb set. The mere ability to switch moves makes Stoutland much harder to check. For example, if a Ghost or Steel switches on Return, with the Choice Band Stoutland is forced out, while with the Life Orb, he swiftly OHKOs with Crunch or Superpower on the following turn. Ghosts are in for more of a surprise since they don't see the recoil and may further be under the impression that I am Banded. Also, I'd rather be able to stay in and smash something else that switch out, switch back in, and take more hazard damage. Life Orb recoil isn't really that much of an issue. Overall, Stoutland is a cool guy and I think he deserves more use.

Celebi @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 52 HP / 252 SAtk / 204 Spd
Modest Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Thunder Wave
- Recover
Up next is Celebi. He's here mainly to be an offensive check to rain teams, checking Politoed, Rotom-W, and Keldeo without much difficulty. Thunder Wave is pretty much here to support just Celebi, but can have other uses like crippling Scarfers like Terrakion, Infernape, and Lati@s on the switch. This is important because these outspeed Adamant Stoutland. It also supports other members of the team, whom will come later. Leaf Storm is dat STAB, and HP Fire allows me to kill Forretress, Ferrothorn, and Scizor.

Landorus @ Life Orb
Trait: Sand Force
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Swords Dance
Here's another hard-hitting physical attacker, Swords Dance Landorus. He's here mainly to eliminate bulky Steels that give Stoutland trouble and that's not a hard task considering nothing wants to take an Earthquake at +2, except for Skarmory, who still doesn't really like Stone Edge. When his job is done, he Explodes, giving a free switch to Stoutland and often picking up another kill in the process. The reason Landorus can't really sweep by himself is because he's not really that fast. He's here to bust the walls that stand in Stoutland's way, but if Celebi can provide support with Thunder Wave, it's very possible that Landorus can do the sweeping himself.

Latios @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Psyshock
- Trick
Latios is here to check Scarf Terrakion and Infernape, which are threats to Stoutland because they outspeed him. He can also screw with many things that like to set up using Trick. Since Trick Latios isn't really that common, he can catch Deoxys-D, Ninjask, and various Dragon Dance or Calm Mind users off guard. He can also check healthy Dragons that Stoutland can't OHKO.

Heatran @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Last guy is Heatran. Heatran is a good counter to Sun Teams overall and this is welcome since sun teams are a bit annoying to face otherwise. Particularly, this Heatran is a hard counter to any other Heatran since he is immune to Fire, Ground, and takes paltry damage from any other attack, while outspeeding due to having Timid nature.

Terrakion and Infernape are threats mainly because, as previously mentioned, they outspeed Stoutland if they are Scarfed. They are also a pain in the ass to deal with defensively, since they both have STABs that my team has difficulty with and sit in a speed tier which is problematic for my team to face. My resistances to Fighting are taken down by their other STAB. Also, Terrakion gets a Special Defense boost from my own sandstorm, making it even more of a threat.


Mamoswine is also a huge threat. Having two of my fastest guys being weak to Ice Shard, that already presents a problem. Heatran, who resists Ice Shard, is promptly OHKOed by Earthquake. Stoutland is the best check to him, but if Mamoswine is on another weather team and I lose T-tar, I'm in for a rough time.

While not as big of a threat as the other two, Jirachi can still be annoying to face. The only set that is really a problem is SubCM. While behind a Sub, Jirachi can block Latios' trick and can go to town by setting up Calm Minds. Since the team lacks a phazer, I can really only get rid of this by pivoting between Landorus and Stoutland, and one will usually die in the process of getting rid of it. While I can easily prevent it from setting up with some prediction, it's still a threat I have to watch out for.


Well, that concludes my first RMT. I hope it meets your standards, and hope that you guys can give me some good advice! Also, sorry about the lack of pictures. I added sprites but I can't have them since this is my first post.

Tyranitar might want to use both Pursuit and Crunch, the former for utility for hitting fleeing Psychics/Ghosts and the latter as a reliable Dark STAB. The last slot will have to be up to you between Fire Blast (for hitting Ferrothorn), Superpower (to hit Ferrothorn too, as well as Blissey and other Tyranitar) and Stone Edge (for secondary STAB).

Latios might want to have Surf over Trick or Psyshock so that it won't get screwed over entirely by Heatran.