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Sand Team help Needed!


kithas

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I'll go to the point: I am trying to make a sandstorm team (absolutely not because EP. 17 looks like we're about to go to a desert) but I am currently a mess, knowing I lack coverage and have too much leads.

 

I've got this:

Spoiler

Kipp (Swampert) (M) @ Leftovers  
Ability: Damp  
Level: 84  
EVs: 104 HP / 14 Atk / 224 Def / 11 SpA / 138 SpD / 19 Spe  
Mild Nature  
IVs: 22 HP / 19 Atk / 7 Def / 18 SpA / 18 SpD / 17 Spe  
- Toxic  
- Stealth Rock  
- Protect  
- Earthquake 

 

Grion (Gliscor) (F) @ Toxic Orb  
Ability: Poison Heal  
Level: 84  
EVs: 220 HP / 29 Atk / 7 Def / 5 SpA / 2 SpD / 247 Spe  
Bashful Nature  
IVs: 28 HP / 6 Atk / 10 Def / 15 SpA / 3 SpD / 0 Spe  
- Sky Uppercut  
- Swords Dance  
- Baton Pass  
- Rock Polish  

 

Excadrill (F) @ Soft Sand  
Ability: Mold Breaker  
Level: 85  
EVs: 28 HP / 242 Atk / 133 Def / 50 SpD / 57 Spe  
Mild Nature  
IVs: 29 HP / 16 Atk / 25 Def / 3 SpA / 29 SpD / 22 Spe  
- Shadow Claw  
- Dig  
- Iron Head  
- Earthquake

 

Hippowdon (F)  
Ability: Sand Stream  
Level: 56  
EVs: 198 HP / 4 Atk / 170 Def / 4 SpA / 126 SpD / 8 Spe  
Careful Nature  
IVs: 21 HP / 23 Atk / 19 Def / 3 SpA / 15 SpD / 0 Spe  
- Stealth Rock  
- Roar  
- Earthquake  
- Slack Off  

Yes, Sand Streamer & Second lead. I'm still training him tho

 

Metagross  
Ability: Clear Body  
EVs: 65 HP / 119 Atk / 109 Def / 131 SpA / 59 SpD / 27 Spe  
Mild Nature  
IVs: 4 HP / 16 Atk / 13 Def / 4 SpA / 7 SpD / 9 Spe  
- Psychic  
- Grass Knot  
- Meteor Mash  
- Signal Beam

 

And I also have these mons on training (They're not actually in their 80's yet)

Spoiler

Lucario (M) @ Leftovers  
Ability: Steadfast  
Level: 79  
EVs: 16 Atk / 3 Def / 252 SpA / 8 SpD / 231 Spe  
Brave Nature  
IVs: 8 HP / 13 Atk / 10 Def / 12 SpA / 30 SpD / 20 Spe  
- Aura Sphere  
- Extreme Speed  
- Dark Pulse  
- Calm Mind

 

Magnezone @ Magnet  
Ability: Magnet Pull  
Level: 80  
Shiny: Yes  
EVs: 2 HP / 88 Def / 252 SpA / 154 SpD / 12 Spe  
Modest Nature  
IVs: 2 HP / 4 Atk / 26 Def / 3 SpA / 13 SpD / 7 Spe  
- Discharge  
- Signal Beam  
- Flash Cannon  
- Signal Beam

And I would like someone else's opinion on who should go and who should I take to complete a team.

Thanks!

Edited by kithas
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Let me have a look :)

Seeing you're playing a sandstream team you really need that Hippowdon as your main lead. 

That said, its set is quite allright. I'd personally run Yawn or one of the Elemental fangs over Roar. I'd pick Yawn most of the time, except when fighting Titania I would have FireFang ( I have a sneaking Suspicion she will have a Ferrothorn).

So if that is your lead, with leftovers, you're good there.

 

Now a huge problem with weather teams are A) Other weather setters (though I'm assuming Titania/Hardy wouldn't really change Sand but Amaria would?), or B  ) Weather nullification (Defog/ Cloud Nine).

The latter wont be happening all that much I recon, but you never know. So its important to keep your Hippowdon alive for now. 

As for our current state, you could get another sandstream user in Gigalith. Most weather teams generally tend to have two mons setting up weather. Gigalith is mostly used as a Lead as well, though I suppose you can make Gigalith the lead, while making Hippowdon the secondary sandstreamer (effectively freeing up a moveslot in taking off Stealth Rocks). Otherwise you kinda need another pokemon that has Sandstorm as a move (with the accompanied item to make sand more durable).

That said.

Sand teams generally have a problem with 

Fighting Types (when using Rock/Steel)

Grass types ( More so physical ones) 

Ground types (See fighting types) 

Water types (See Grass) 

Ice types ( somewhat).

 

So when building teams, you need to consider how to deal with this.

Gliscor deals with Ground/Fighting types though I would preferably run another set.

I'd personally rather run the following:

Gliscor @ no item -  Sand Veil

Acrobatics

Knock Off

Sword Dance

Ice/FireFang/Thunderfang/Sky Uppercut ( really depends on what you need @ said point 

Acrobatics deals nicely with clearing off Fighting Types (and one if not its only STAB). Hence you dont want an item. 

Sand Veil gives you a better synergy with sand than Poison heal in this case

Knock off is nice to have, and you can hit Steel/Rock types with it, same can be said for Sky Uppercut tbh. So both are good for Titania/Hardy.

SD is always nice to boost yourself up. 

The last is just filler/coverage. 

 

Swampert is also really good for this team, though I wouldnt run that set. 

I'd go for a more offensive set.

Waterfall

Earthquake

Rock Slide

Protect.

Protect helps with scouting out your opponents moves. Rockslide/Earthquake gives you a Pseudo EdgeQuake combo and Waterfall (or surf) is there for STAB>

 

Excadrill is fine, can take advantage of the weather

Change I would make is Sword Dance over Dig.

Versus Titania/ Hardy I would give it a Balloon instead of Soft Sand. 

 

Magnezone can be fine against Ice/Grass types. Same for Lucario. 

So those fit really well. 

Metagross also really works well. 

 

This is somewhat Gimmicky but can possibly help with Amaria (granted it doesnt also have an ice move)

Cacturne @ Water Absorb/SandVeil  - Leftovers

-Spiky Shield

-Leech Seed

-Substitute

-Energy Ball. 

 

A bulkier version without Water absorb, that can also be used for Titania would be Chessnaught

Chessnaught @ Leftovers - Bulletproof 

-Spiky Shield

-Leech seed

-Substitute

-Hammer Arm / Seed bomb ( I prefer Bomb over Hammer because it gives no Recoil) 

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

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@kithas  First of all some recommendations:

Swampert - waterfall and ice punch(when necessary)

Excadrill - sand rush ability, replace dig and shadow claw with rock slide and sword dance.Dig is risky for it because it already has 2x weakness to ground
Metagross- mixed attacker is not good.The best movesets would be

  -meteor mash - bullet punch - zen headbutt - hammer arm (thunder punch when fighting Amaria)

let it hold wide lens so meteor mash,zen headbutt and hammer arm have 99% accuracy.

The same problem with lucario.

What is last move of your magnezone? You wrote signal beam twice.

I recommend farming some heart scale in Charlotte's house in Tanzan cove with good rod to change some natures.

Edited by Yagami
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Thank you all very much! I'm taking your advise (I don't know why I went for two leads and not with getting swampert Ice-punch). Dig is going to be changed when needed (I used it mainly as a field move back then). Gliscor I was trying to use it as a baton passer for the sweepers, and as for Magnezone... Yes, I just realize it xD I wanted to take it as some water coverage but I don't actually have a fixed moveset for it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm sorry for the double-posting but I prefer reviving this theme from ten days ago to making a new...

I took your advise and for now it is doing well, however I've just leveled Magnezone and I'm still not sure of what moveset it should have:

 

Now it's 252 Sp. Atk 156 Sp. Def, and a bit for defense and for speed, Ability Magnet Pull, and its set for now is Shockwave, Discharge, Magnet Rise and Flash Cannon. Any ideas about how to make it better?

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To start off, I'd get rid of Magnet Pull. Seems like a rather useless ability to me. 

 

Maybe use the move tutor to look for some other moves it can learn. Depending on your team I'd get rid of Magnet Rise. It gives immunity to ground moves, which are very common in Reborn, but you usually have something that resists ground moves anyway. So that's up to you

 

I'm not very good at movesets, but maybe you can teach it Toxic with the tm if its defence/sp. defence is high enough

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7 hours ago, kithas said:

I'm sorry for the double-posting but I prefer reviving this theme from ten days ago to making a new...

I took your advise and for now it is doing well, however I've just leveled Magnezone and I'm still not sure of what moveset it should have:

 

Now it's 252 Sp. Atk 156 Sp. Def, and a bit for defense and for speed, Ability Magnet Pull, and its set for now is Shockwave, Discharge, Magnet Rise and Flash Cannon. Any ideas about how to make it better?

T-Bolt, T-wave, Flash cannon and a move of your choice:

- HP fire if you wanna go magnet pull, alhtough sand team should cover steels easily

- Tri attack vs. electrics? although you don't need that coverage on sand team :D

- You could go for signal beam cuz steel is somewhat a good counter vs. traditional grass-types (who don't carry steel-type coverage, and usually threaten sand teams).

 

I'd go for either sturdy or analityc, not taking magnet pull since AI tends not to switch out and if it does it is in 90% of cases in your favour anyway.

Edited by Nordling
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Well, I think MPull would be useful if Titania brings a Skarmory (what she'll do) so I can take it safely down without worrying about her changing mons. And maybe Magnet Rise would be useful in double battles, to spam Earthquakes with its companion and end the survivors with Magnezone lol

Toxic seems a viable option btw I'll look into it ^^

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9 hours ago, kithas said:

Well, I think MPull would be useful if Titania brings a Skarmory (what she'll do) so I can take it safely down without worrying about her changing mons. And maybe Magnet Rise would be useful in double battles, to spam Earthquakes with its companion and end the survivors with Magnezone lol

Toxic seems a viable option btw I'll look into it ^^

Why not just buy lot of air balloon? Magnezone isn't that fast.

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