This is my first try at a team, criticism is appreciated. Tyranitar (lead) - Stealth Rock, Stone Edge, Payback, Fire Punch Item: Focus Sash Nature: Adamant EVs: 252 HP 32 Atk 224 SpD Cradily - Seed Bomb, Toxic, Recover, Rockslide Item: Leftovers Nature: Careful EVs: 252 HP 96 Def 160 SpD Skarmory - Brave Bird, Roost, Spikes, Whirlwind Item: Leftovers Nature: Impish EVs: 252 HP 64 Atk 176 Def 16 Spe Garchomp - Outrage, Earthquake, Dragon Claw, Aquatail Item: Choice Scarf Nature: Jolly EVs: 4HP 252 Atk 252 Spe Lucario - Aura Sphere, Shadow Ball, Vacuum Wave, Water Pulse Item: Choice Specs Nature: Timid EVs: 4HP 252 SpA 252 Spe Vaporeon - Wish, Protect, Surf, Yawn Item: Leftovers Nature: Bold EVs: 188 HP 252 Def 68 Spe Strategy: I was trying to come up with a balanced defensive team that made use of entry hazards and sandstorm primarily. I realise I don't have any spin-blockers but I couldn't really think of one that would work on a sand storm team, any suggestions? Or will moves like yawn and whirlwind help swap out a rapid spinner anyway? Do I need any more phaze moves like roar for the team to be effective, I was thinking some of the moves that are used more as fillers (water pulse, aquatail, fire punch) could be changed for a roar? Also is Tyranitar an effective lead? I thought the focus sash would at least let it get out SR, and fire punch would help against its counters when the focus sash left it with a little health left. Let me know what you think
This team honestly looks like it's made for early OU mainly. For one Garchomp's banned, and I can't really look at this team (which is balanced as far as I can tell) without its main offensive force. Plus you're restricting yourself far too much by thinking of this as a "sandstorm team". Sandstorm teams don't need to be 100% immune to sandstorm, and with the hazards you're placing you definitely need a spin blocker (4 turns of laying them down, and the SR user is sui). Yawn and whirlwind won't stop an RS before it happens since Yawn will just make them swap out later, after they spin, and whirlwind goes after RS always. Now for your tyranitar as a lead (as I said, not going to go over the whole team without Garchomp being swapped, since there's no way you're planning it for Ubers): I'd probably use the more standard set (EQ / Rest with Chesto / Lum(lum if you're using EQ)), T-tar's pretty bulky against what it needs to be anyway. Fire Punch isn't as helpful as you expect (explaining later). against the top 10 leads: Azelf: It gets SR up since it's not risking Taunting in case of Crunch / payback. Both players get up SR, and he'll probably explode or switch after. Either that or he gets SR, and you kill which is what he expected anyway. You technically win, as that is T-tar lead's main goal. Aerodactyl: He taunts and SRs. You might kill after that, but he's done his job. You lose. Swampert: You both get SR, but Swampert obviously takes out T-tar. You lose. Metagross: Same as swampert. EQ (46% -53%) would be better than Fire Punch(34 - 40%) anyway, especially if they have an Occa (more common than a Shuca). Metagross' Meteor Mash crushes you dealing 84% - 99% and it always has Bullet Punch to finish the job. Jirachi: Iron Head will probably kill you before you get to move. If you get the 40% chance to attack, EQ would be better than Fire Punch. Lose for sure, no rocks usually. Infernape: It fake outs than close combats. You lose. EQ might help if it doesn't carry CC, but it usually will. Machamp: Pretty sure you lose, Dynamic Punch is killer. Ninjask: It only gets to pass speed, if anything. You can't risk setting up rocks though. Roserade: This is why you need the lum berry. Payback will knock it into SS K.O. range anyway, so Fire Punch doesn't help. You win. Tyranitar: Mirror match. Frankly, I'm not a fan of the lead, but I guess it works.
Thanks for your comments. I guess I was just intending to use this for wifi battles though, do people still expect you to conform to tiers for wifi battles or not? I thought tiers were just for Shoddy Battle battles. In any case if I was going to swap out garchomp would scizor or flygon be good substitutes? If I have aerodactyl as a suicide lead and keep tyranitar then how would I reliably cause a sandstorm, or do you not think that should be my main focus. Would dropping cradily for aerodactyl be a good idea? I know cradily works well as a special wall under sandstorm but apart from that it doesn't really seem to add much to the team. In regards to a spin-blocker, could I use gengar as my special sweeper in exchange for lucario holding black sludge or is he too frail? I would post up all all the natures and movesets, etc, of the pokemon I said I might use but I'm a bit pressed for time now so I'll do it later.
Thanks for your comments. I guess I was just intending to use this for wifi battles though, do people still expect you to conform to tiers for wifi battles or not? I thought tiers were just for Shoddy Battle battles. Hobocartwright
Yes, people absolutely expect you to conform to the tiers. xD
This team honestly looks like it's made for early OU mainly. For one Garchomp's banned, and I can't really look at this team (which is balanced as far as I can tell) without its main offensive force. Plus you're restricting yourself far too much by thinking of this as a "sandstorm team". Sandstorm teams don't need to be 100% immune to sandstorm, and with the hazards you're placing you definitely need a spin blocker (4 turns of laying them down, and the SR user is sui). Yawn and whirlwind won't stop an RS before it happens since Yawn will just make them swap out later, after they spin, and whirlwind goes after RS always. Now for your tyranitar as a lead (as I said, not going to go over the whole team without Garchomp being swapped, since there's no way you're planning it for Ubers): I'd probably use the more standard set (EQ / Rest with Chesto / Lum(lum if you're using EQ)), T-tar's pretty bulky against what it needs to be anyway. Fire Punch isn't as helpful as you expect (explaining later). against the top 10 leads: Azelf: It gets SR up since it's not risking Taunting in case of Crunch / payback. Both players get up SR, and he'll probably explode or switch after. Either that or he gets SR, and you kill which is what he expected anyway. You technically win, as that is T-tar lead's main goal. Aerodactyl: He taunts and SRs. You might kill after that, but he's done his job. You lose. Swampert: You both get SR, but Swampert obviously takes out T-tar. You lose. Metagross: Same as swampert. EQ (46% -53%) would be better than Fire Punch(34 - 40%) anyway, especially if they have an Occa (more common than a Shuca). Metagross' Meteor Mash crushes you dealing 84% - 99% and it always has Bullet Punch to finish the job. Jirachi: Iron Head will probably kill you before you get to move. If you get the 40% chance to attack, EQ would be better than Fire Punch. Lose for sure, no rocks usually. Infernape: It fake outs than close combats. You lose. EQ might help if it doesn't carry CC, but it usually will. Machamp: Pretty sure you lose, Dynamic Punch is killer. Ninjask: It only gets to pass speed, if anything. You can't risk setting up rocks though. Roserade: This is why you need the lum berry. Payback will knock it into SS K.O. range anyway, so Fire Punch doesn't help. You win. Tyranitar: Mirror match. Frankly, I'm not a fan of the lead, but I guess it works.Hegna1
Sticky got taken down, and really, that's not that much. The lead check doesn't take long and that's most of it. I'll go check the newer version of the team, and come back with some comments, but I can't right now. It'd really be helpful if you wrote a bit of a description for what each member does in specific for YOUR team rather than in general. I'll be back if I can find the thread to go through it.
Okay well Aerodactyl is your standard suicide lead, designed to just get the stealth rock out and that's it. Skarmory is my spiker and physical wall and phazer to rack up damage from the entry hazards. Tyranitar is my physical sweeper, who I'd swap in on something like a gengar or any other ghost or physic pokemon so I can set up a dragon dance. After a dragon dance he should be able to deal with things like electivire, lucario, weavile and some forms of salamence with stone edge. Dusknoir is my spin blocker and mixed wall - I know I haven't put any EVs into SpD but a lot of the team are specially defensive already - and he'd be used to combat your normal spinners like starmie, tentacruel and forretress as well as hopefully scizor and heracross and bulky water too. On Lucario I think I'll change water pulse for dragon pulse as he should be able to outspeed some of the dragons with luck, lucario being my special sweeper and dealing with things like skarmory and porygon-z, and also revenge killing things with vacuum wave. And finally for vaporeon he'll deal with things like heatran and infernape or opposing rock and ground pokemon, as well as blocking explosions with withdraw and providing wish support. I was thinking of changing yawn for ice beam to provide more ways to get at dragon pokemon should I need them as I don't have too many options for them so far, is this a good idea? Let me know if this strategy is any good or not too.
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