Weather teams aren't too common in LC, especially not sand. I decided to make one for exactly this reason, and climbed to 1450 ELO before coasting on a massive losing streak.
Thought Process
Every weather team needs a setter. As Hippopotas is the only Sand Stream user in the tier, its inclusion should be an obvious choice.
Next, I needed a sand abuser. Drilbur gets Sand Rush and several strong moves, allowing it to hit hard and hit fast.
With two Pokemon weak to Grass, enter Koffing. It keeps Grookey in check, plus it's able to threaten Fighting types like Mienfoo.
Ferroseed is the Water type check of the team. It can't handle them all (ahem Mareanie), but it does an excellent job of providing utility.
Magnemite is my Scarfer, allowing it to handle threats that it couldn't outspeed otherwise. It comes with an immunity to Sand, which is another big plus.
Finally, I chose Abra. Magic Guard, Focus Sash, and a high Speed stat allow it to serve as my revenge killer, helping against sweepers before things get out of hand.
The Team
Hippopotas @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 5
EVs: 100 Atk / 212 Def / 180 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
- High Horsepower
- Yawn
Smooth Rock is a must for a Sand setter. It's unfortunate that Hippopotas loses the bulk that Eviolite could've provided, but it's a necessary sacrifice. Yawn threatens leads like Dewpider. Stealth Rock makes the opponent think twice about switching frequently. Slack Off provides Hippo with reliable recovery, keeping it in the battle longer. High Horsepower is STAB. I chose it over Earthquake because Earthquake's power is halved in Grassy Terrain (and Grookey is very popular), while High Horsepower's is not.
Drilbur @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Sand Rush
Level: 5
EVs: 76 Atk / 116 Def / 76 SpD / 212 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
The EVs, Jolly Nature, and Sand Rush in sand let it hit 34 Speed, an incredible margin that let it outspeed +2 196 Spe Vullaby, Scarfed 236 Spe Magnemite, and +1 Jolly Onix, among other things. Heavy-Duty Boots prevent it from being afflicted with Dewpider's Sticky Web, and it stops Spikes damage from racking up. Rapid Spin clears away hazards and makes Drilbur even more ridiculously fast. Earthquake is generally solid STAB that lets it OHKO non-Sturdy Magnemite, 2HKO 0 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Onix, and 2HKO 196 HP / 20+ Def Eviolite Mareanie, with a small chance of an OHKO. Rock Slide is a guaranteed 2HKO on some Vullaby variants that think they can absorb an Earthquake on the switch-in. It also cleanly 2HKOs Dewpider -- though Drilbur may need Hippopotas' Yawn support, as Dewpider can OHKO Drilbur. Swords Dance turns many of those 2HKOs into OHKOs if given the chance.
Koffing @ Eviolite
Ability: Levitate
Level: 5
EVs: 76 Def / 196 SpA / 236 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Wave
- Will-O-Wisp
- Fire Blast
- Clear Smog
Koffing is my Grookey check, as it resists Grassy Glide, U-turn, and Drain Punch. It's also able to force out Mienfoo and Scraggy, as neither one wants to suffer a Will-O-Wisp. I've noticed Mienfoo likes to hit Koffing with Knock Off on the switch-in, so I need to be careful with that. Sludge Wave is STAB that deals nicely with Grookey and Spritzee. Will-O-Wisp, as mentioned, threatens Mienfoo and Scraggy, plus the many other physical attackers in the tier, like Archen, Pawniard, etc. Fire Blast screws Ferroseed over, plus it does nice damage to Foongus, Pawniard, and Magnemite. Clear Smog stops setup sweepers in their tracks, but I haven't used it that often. Is there anything I should replace it with?
Ferroseed @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 5
EVs: 4 HP / 36 Atk / 188 Def / 4 SpA / 228 SpD / 36 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Spikes
- Thunder Wave
- Knock Off
- Giga Drain
Spikes stacks up hazards in Ferroseed mirror matches: both Ferroseed use Spikes on each side of the field, but then Drilbut can come in and Spin them away. Thunder Wave spreads status and makes it even easier for my fast sweepers to clean up. Knock Off is the move I use the most, as it's able to remove Eviolites from Mareanie, Mienfoo, other Ferroseed... basically everything that uses it. It also hits Abra for surprisingly decent damage, and disrupts Onix/Magnemite Sturdy + Berry Juice strategies. Giga drain is reliable STAB that gives me a recovery option.
Magnemite @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 5
EVs: 36 Def / 236 SpA / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Steel Beam
I really love this Magnemite. It has Sturdy and an immunity to sand, which work excellently together. The Choice Scarf lets it outspeed a few threats on turn one, like Vullaby and Onix. Volt Switch is a pivot tool, plus it can KO weakened opponents without locking me into one move. Thunderbolt is the main STAB move of choice, and it should be obvious why. Flash Cannon is a clean KO against Onix, plus it has a 50% chance of taking out a Diglett switch-in that thinks it can lock me into Thunderbolt. Steel Beam is a last-ditch nuke that can catch Grookey and Mienfoo by surprise if none of my other team members can deal with them.
Abra @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
Level: 5
EVs: 236 SpA / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Protect
- Energy Ball
Magic guard means Abra is exempt from taking Sandstorm damage. Protect lets it dodge Trapinch's First Impression, and Grookey, Mienfoo, and Scraggy's Fake Outs. Psychic nails Mareanie, Foongus, Timburr, etc. with ease. Dazzling Gleam is for Vullaby and Scraggy (plus the other less common Dark types in the tier), and Energy Ball is for Staryu and Onix. Abra is so strong it's able to pick off even weakned resists with Psychic and Dazzling Gleam, but it still falls to a few Pokemon, most notably Pawniard.
Pokepaste
