Rate My Gen 8 OU Sandstorm Team!

Question

I'm now really into playing competitive and being on Showdown, because there is a lovely community and it's just so fun! I have recently designed a Sandstorm Team, and I was wondering what you think? Any advice will be much appreciated!

Rex (Tyranitar) (M) @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 76 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Fire Punch
- Stealth Rock

Rex here is my Sand Streamer. Smooth Rock boosts the Sandstorm, and the EV spread lets him live a couple hits to set up Sandstorm and Stealth Rock. If I feel like I have a good match up, Stone Edge, Crunch, and Fire Punch are there to help, before I switch. I would want to be able to switch Rex in at a later time to set up Sandstorm again should it run out.

Big Birb (Corviknight) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 204 Atk / 52 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Bulk Up
- Body Press
- Power Trip

This one is probably a bit odd, but let me explain. Iron Head is for Steel STAB. Bulk up raises Attack and Defense, and I have Special Defense EVs. Body Press is super strong coverage thanks to Bulk Up, and Power Trip is strong as well after spamming Bulk Up for a bit, while my opponent has to think up of a strategy to counter.

Fork (Sigilyph) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Air Slash
- Heat Wave
- Roost

Fork is mainly to counter Grass types, among others. Psychic and Air Slash are STAB moves, Heat Wave for coverage, and Roost for healing. Her ability Magic Guard means she can take the Sandstorm.

Spaghetti (Heliolisk) (F) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 20 Def / 236 SpA / 20 SpD / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt
- Surf
- Weather Ball

I really like Heliolisk :3 I just had to include one lol. I figured that I don't really need normal STAB, so I chucked on Weather Ball that is either Normal, or Rock for coverage in Sandstorm. Dark Pulse is an effective way in hitting Ghost types, and Surf is for coverage against Ground Types.

Jet (Garchomp) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Iron Head

Here's the real deal... Jet! Garchomp is a nessecary for any Sandteam in my opinion, and with a Life Orb means it's overpowered (the Ice types in the room: "Hey..."). Swords Dance to set up, then Dragon Claw and Earthquake for massive strong STAB, and while it isn't likely I will stay in to Ice or Fairy types, if I happen to be locked in or in a bad situation, Iron Head destroys. >:3

Pepper (Scizor) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Technician
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bullet Punch
- X-Scissor
- Psycho Cut
- Swords Dance

What's a team without Scizor?? Bullet Punch is STAB, Technician boosted priority, super handy as even with EV investment, Pepper won't always outspeed. X-Scissor and Psycho Cut are for coverage, and Swords Dance to double Attack in an instant!

Thanks for reading, any answers will be greatly appreciated!! :D

Comments

Sandstorm team for Generation 8 OU?

---

Yup :)

---

Corviknight, Heliolisk, Sigilyph and Scizor don't take any much of Sandstorm. Relying on Sand Veil miss isn't good either. You had be better with Sand Rush sweepers like Excadrill and Dracozolt.

---

they're not bad though, and i'm merely doing this for my own amusement, i'm not great at competitive, that's why i asked this to be rated, thanks :D

---

Bruh, have you ever had that nightmare scenario where 'my infiltrator Dragapult failed to kill Garchomp because my draco meteor missed three times' or 'Landorus Therian used explosion. Garchomp avoided the attack'?

---

That only works with Substitute. And the OP didn't have that set either. I'm likely not having that nightmare scenario because it's not worth to pit your hax.

---

That doesn't necessarily just work with subs. Even something like stone edge turns into a nightmare scenario but yeah, most of the time it's not worth but considering how much terror Garchomp can wreak with just one dodged hit, it's probably worth the risk and it's not like Chomp is that helpless if it doesn't dodge anything either

Answer 1

Your team literally has no wall breakers for a sand team and I feel like you didn't test your team enough as Heliolisk and Sigilyph have no place in ou. Regardless, as someone who literally spams sand every game, here's my advice

First, use specially defensive Tyranitar. Max hp max spd. If you're using Tyranitar as your sand summoner, then the only reason you would ever do that is to be safe from Volcarona. Tyranitar completely invalidates Volcarona's existence, allowing you to out offense it or Tyranitar just straight up kills it

Offensive Corviknight has lost its place, or nearly lost it, in ou. If you wanna use an offensive bird, use Tornadus Therian. If you are using Corviknight, then your number one goal should be to ensure that Rillaboom and opposing Garchomps doesn't run you over, which those two can easily do in the blink of an eye. Use max hp and max def instead to better your odds against ou's two biggest monsters

Why is Sigilyph even on your team? This mon has no place in ou as every other bird just does whatever it does but better. Replace this with Slowking instead to act as your special wall, protecting you from mainly Nidoking and more importantly, a switch move in teleport. This would allow you to bring in your attackers safely and since you're using Tyranitar, you're safe from Volcarona

If you're gonna use Garchomp as your main sand abuser, then you should use its single most dangerous set, sub scale shot. I will fight anyone to the death who says that sub scale shot isn't Garchomp's most dangerous set. Your current Garchomp set, you're living in the past. Dragon claw easily falls short to kill anything while iron head does only a hair higher amount of damage than your stab earthquake so it's next to useless. You're better off using scale shot as that move increases Garchomp's speed after use, allowing you to boost up to defcon one while substitute would shield you from many attacks, most importantly, allows you to burn thru RIlla's terrain if you need to earthquake something

For the fifth slot, I suggest using mixed Dracozolt, or as it is called, Ocelzolt, made by LiquidOcelot from smogon. Trust me, this is the single most dangerous wallbreaker for sand teams, and it easily gets rid of the biggest thorn in Garchomp's ass, metal birds

This last slot can be whatever you want, basically anything that can destroy specially defensive ground types as Ocelzolt struggles greatly to get rid of them. You can also use either Lele or Koko so you can get rid of Rilla's terrain if you wanna earthquake something to death sooner and can't afford to sub up. Alternatively, even Tornadus Therian will fit this slot nicely as it will gain the coverage it needs to get rid of Zapdos. Basically, any wallbreaker not named Rillaboom will fit this slot

https://pokepast.es/351886d1ba31ab86

Here. That's the main members

https://pokepast.es/40ad1a01a0b7dba6

This one, choose one for the last team slot. These are not your only options as this last slot doesn't have that much of a requirement. Any strong wallbreaker will do

You can tweak Tyranitar and Corviknight's moves and evs if you want but keep Dracozolt's. Its evs were made specifically to outrun scarf Landorus Therian in sand and it's draco to one shot max hp Landorus after some slight chip damage while fire blast is to roast Ferrothorn with earthquake for Heatran. If you're facing something not weak to electric but weak to ground, use bolt beak. It does more damage than quake. However, be very careful about opposing Garchomps when using Dracozolt as scarf chomp outspeeds it even in sand so keep that in mind

Comments

thanks :D really helped, can't wait to use this set!!