Sandstorm: The Dominating Weather
By: [member]Teapot[/member]
By: [member]Teapot[/member]
Intro
Sand. Since its introduction in Ruby and Sapphire, sand has made a huge impact on the metagame. In ADV, Tyranitar was one of the most feared Pokémon to go up against. TyraniBoah broke walls like a champ, Choice Band versions hit like a nuke, and Dragon Dance could be used to set up and easily sweep any team. In DPP, it only got better. The physical/special split gave him the usable Dark-type STAB Crunch, Stone Edge replaced Rock Slide, and Choice Scarf let it keep big threats in check. Hippowdon also made his debut in DPP as a top physical wall. Not only could he set up sand, but he could also phaze, set up the then-new Stealth Rock, and keep himself healthy with Slack Off.
In gen 5, sand has become one of the most popular teams to play. Tyranitar is still seen everywhere, and Hippowdon (although used significantly less) is still a great defensive wall. We also saw the introduction of Sand Rush and Sand Force this generation and new threats like Landorus and Poison Heal Gliscor. This article will help you understand why sand is so popular, and so dominant.
The Effects
Sand has multiple effects that you need to consider when going into a match. Here are the effects that sandstorm brings to the battle:
~Any non-Rock, -Ground, and -Steel Pokémon lose 1/16 of their maximum HP between turns.
~Rock-types get 1.5 times their normal Special Defense
~Pokémon with Sand Rush get double Speed
~Pokémon with Sand Force have Rock, Ground, and Steel moves boosted to 1.3 times normal damage
~Pokémon with Sand Veil get a 20% evasion increase
~Morning Sun, Synthesis, and Moonlight only heal 1/4 of the user's max HP instead of 1/2
~Weather Ball becomes a base 100 power Rock-type move
~SolarBeam does half damage
The Sand Streamers
Tyranitar
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Tyranitar is one of the most popular Pokémon in the game today for a very good reason. As a Rock-type, Tyranitar gets the Special Defense boost his own sand brings, which turns him into a reliable specially defensive tank. On the offensive side, it can hit hard from both ends of the spectrum using its gigantic base 134 Attack and great base 95 Special Attack. Here are the common Tyranitar sets you will be up against:
Standard Stealth Rock (aka MixTar)
Tyranitar @Leftovers
Sassy/Quiet Nature
Trait: Sand Stream
252 HP/180 SpAtt/72 SPDef
~Stealth Rock
~Fire Blast/Superpower
~Crunch/Pursuit
~Ice Beam/Pursuit/Superpower
Like I said earlier, Tyranitar hits from both ends of the spectrum. This set does that quite effectively. Stealth Rock is the basic hazard that is a necessity for all teams, due to the introduction of Volcarona. The remaining attacks are used for what you see fit. Fire Blast will let you hit Scizor on a switch in and it makes sure you aren't vulnerable to Ferrothorn. Crunch is your main STAB, although Pursuit can work as well to hit stuff on a switch. Ice Beam will hit Gliscor, which otherwise walls you. Superpower hits opposing Tyranitar, the occasional brave Terrakion switch-in, and lets you hit (although not KO) Ferrothorn and Heatran. This is the most common set out there, so make sure you're prepared for it!
Specially Defensive
Tyranitar @Leftovers
Careful Nature
Trait: Sand Stream
252 HP/4 Att/252 SpDef
~Stealth Rock/Superpower
~Crunch
~Pursuit
~Stone Edge
This Tyranitar, as suggested in the title, is "specially defensive." With the extra Special Defense granted by the sandstorm, running Special Defense EVs is definitely not a bad thing. Stealth Rock can be used, although if you're using Stealth Rock on somebody else, Superpower is your best option for type coverage. Crunch/Pursuit let you trap Pokémon like Latios, Latias, and Blissey. Stone Edge is your main STAB attack with great base power. Fire Blast could also be used, but without Special Attack EVs, it really won't hit hard enough.
Choice Band Tar
Tyranitar @Choice Band
Adamant Nature
Trait: Sand Stream
252 HP/168 Att/88 Speed
~Stone Edge
~Crunch
~Pursuit
~Superpower/Aqua Tail/Earthquake
This Tyranitar is made to catch stuff like Latios, Latias, and Blissey with Pursuit, and try to KO them. Pursuit with Choice Band is tailor-made to hit Latios, Latias, and a switching-out Blissey. Adamant Nature with Choice Band gives Tyranitar massive attack, the HP makes Tyranitar more bulky. The extra Special Defense in sand helps with this too. Using 88 Speed allows Tyranitar to reach 180. Stone Edge from CB Tar hits anything for massive damage, Crunch is to hit Reuniclus with. The last move is up to you. Superpower hits Ferrothorn, Heatran, non-switching Blissey, and other Tyranitar. Aqua Tail hits Gliscor, Tyranitar, and the odd Hippowdon. Earthquake is generally inferior to Superpower, although it can be used to hit Tyranitar and Heatran without the Attack/Defense drop.
Tyranitar @Leftovers
Sassy/Quiet Nature
Trait: Sand Stream
252 HP/180 SpAtt/72 SPDef
~Stealth Rock
~Fire Blast/Superpower
~Crunch/Pursuit
~Ice Beam/Pursuit/Superpower
Like I said earlier, Tyranitar hits from both ends of the spectrum. This set does that quite effectively. Stealth Rock is the basic hazard that is a necessity for all teams, due to the introduction of Volcarona. The remaining attacks are used for what you see fit. Fire Blast will let you hit Scizor on a switch in and it makes sure you aren't vulnerable to Ferrothorn. Crunch is your main STAB, although Pursuit can work as well to hit stuff on a switch. Ice Beam will hit Gliscor, which otherwise walls you. Superpower hits opposing Tyranitar, the occasional brave Terrakion switch-in, and lets you hit (although not KO) Ferrothorn and Heatran. This is the most common set out there, so make sure you're prepared for it!
Specially Defensive
Tyranitar @Leftovers
Careful Nature
Trait: Sand Stream
252 HP/4 Att/252 SpDef
~Stealth Rock/Superpower
~Crunch
~Pursuit
~Stone Edge
This Tyranitar, as suggested in the title, is "specially defensive." With the extra Special Defense granted by the sandstorm, running Special Defense EVs is definitely not a bad thing. Stealth Rock can be used, although if you're using Stealth Rock on somebody else, Superpower is your best option for type coverage. Crunch/Pursuit let you trap Pokémon like Latios, Latias, and Blissey. Stone Edge is your main STAB attack with great base power. Fire Blast could also be used, but without Special Attack EVs, it really won't hit hard enough.
Choice Band Tar
Tyranitar @Choice Band
Adamant Nature
Trait: Sand Stream
252 HP/168 Att/88 Speed
~Stone Edge
~Crunch
~Pursuit
~Superpower/Aqua Tail/Earthquake
This Tyranitar is made to catch stuff like Latios, Latias, and Blissey with Pursuit, and try to KO them. Pursuit with Choice Band is tailor-made to hit Latios, Latias, and a switching-out Blissey. Adamant Nature with Choice Band gives Tyranitar massive attack, the HP makes Tyranitar more bulky. The extra Special Defense in sand helps with this too. Using 88 Speed allows Tyranitar to reach 180. Stone Edge from CB Tar hits anything for massive damage, Crunch is to hit Reuniclus with. The last move is up to you. Superpower hits Ferrothorn, Heatran, non-switching Blissey, and other Tyranitar. Aqua Tail hits Gliscor, Tyranitar, and the odd Hippowdon. Earthquake is generally inferior to Superpower, although it can be used to hit Tyranitar and Heatran without the Attack/Defense drop.
Hippowdon
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Hippowdon is significantly less popular than it was in its debut in DPP OU. Hippowdon was used mainly as a physical wall, but since the power level of OU play seems to go up year after year, it's a lot harder for Hippowdon to function at the same level as it did a few years ago. Despite the power creep however, Hippowdon still does get to wall a lot of physical attackers. Gliscor and Landorus in particular are two Pokémon that Hippowdon can check very efficiently, when given the right moves. Hippowdon, even though used less then Tyranitar, serves a completely different purpose, so it is not a Pokémon to be unprepared for when reading over your team.
Physically Defensive
Hippowdon @Leftovers
Impish Nature
Trait: Sand Stream
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpDef
~Stealth Rock
~Earthquake
~Slack Off
~Roar/Ice Fang
Hippowdon's specially defensive version that was ever so popular in DPP isn't quite as useful as it once was. The special wall could be used to survive hits like Dragonite's Draco Meteor, while still maintaining the defense to wall physical attackers. Unfortunately, the physical attackers this generation are so powerful that even Hippowdon has to run max HP/max Defense to keep up with them. Not only this, but the specially attacking side of the metagame got greatly increased; new threats like Volcarona, Latios, and Reuniclus make a specially defensive Hippowdon not viable for OU play. If you see a Hippowdon being used in OU, this is probably what it will be. Earthquake is there for STAB. Unlike Tyranitar, Hippowdon has access to Slack Off, so it can instantly heal itself without putting itself to sleep. Slack Off is also not affected by weather like Moonlight and Synthesis are. Stealth Rock is there because it's Stealth Rock, and the last move is up to you. Roar is more common, as you can phaze out common Swords Dancers, like Terrakion, although Ice Fang is viable. For one, you won't be walled by an Air Balloon, and for two, you will be able to hit Landorus and Gliscor for massive damage.
Hippowdon @Leftovers
Impish Nature
Trait: Sand Stream
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpDef
~Stealth Rock
~Earthquake
~Slack Off
~Roar/Ice Fang
Hippowdon's specially defensive version that was ever so popular in DPP isn't quite as useful as it once was. The special wall could be used to survive hits like Dragonite's Draco Meteor, while still maintaining the defense to wall physical attackers. Unfortunately, the physical attackers this generation are so powerful that even Hippowdon has to run max HP/max Defense to keep up with them. Not only this, but the specially attacking side of the metagame got greatly increased; new threats like Volcarona, Latios, and Reuniclus make a specially defensive Hippowdon not viable for OU play. If you see a Hippowdon being used in OU, this is probably what it will be. Earthquake is there for STAB. Unlike Tyranitar, Hippowdon has access to Slack Off, so it can instantly heal itself without putting itself to sleep. Slack Off is also not affected by weather like Moonlight and Synthesis are. Stealth Rock is there because it's Stealth Rock, and the last move is up to you. Roar is more common, as you can phaze out common Swords Dancers, like Terrakion, although Ice Fang is viable. For one, you won't be walled by an Air Balloon, and for two, you will be able to hit Landorus and Gliscor for massive damage.
The Sand Abusers
Offensive
Landorus
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Landorus is an absolute monster in a sandstorm. Landorus has great Ground/Flying typing, so he possesses weaknesses to only Water and Ice. Landorus becomes neutral to Rock, Grass, and immune to Electric, which is great, since Thunderbolt and Stone Edge are commonly seen in OU. Landorus's ability is Sand Force, meaning while in a Sandstorm, Earthquake and Stone Edge will hit for 30% more damage than normal. It's like getting a free Life Orb boost. Factor in that Landorus gets access to both Swords Dance and Rock Polish and you've got one terrifying sweeper on your hands. He also has base 89 HP, 90 Def, and 80 SpDef, so he can definitely take a hit if he needs to.
Boosting Sweeper
Landorus @Leftovers/Life Orb
Naive Nature
Trait: Sand Force
4 HP/252 Att/252 Spe
~Swords Dance/Rock Polish
~Earthquake
~Stone Edge
~Hidden Power Ice/Substitute
Choice
Landorus @Choice Band/Choice Scarf
Naughty/Naive Nature
Trait: Sand Force
4 HP/252 Att/252 Spe
~Earthquake
~Stone Edge
~Hidden Power Ice
~U-turn
Landorus @Leftovers/Life Orb
Naive Nature
Trait: Sand Force
4 HP/252 Att/252 Spe
~Swords Dance/Rock Polish
~Earthquake
~Stone Edge
~Hidden Power Ice/Substitute
Choice
Landorus @Choice Band/Choice Scarf
Naughty/Naive Nature
Trait: Sand Force
4 HP/252 Att/252 Spe
~Earthquake
~Stone Edge
~Hidden Power Ice
~U-turn
Terrakion
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Terrakion is the second offensive threat you'll have to be afraid of when facing sand. Terrakion poses monstrous base 129 Attack, and great base 108 Speed. Terrakion also has base 91/90/90 in Hp/Def/SpDef, which makes him pretty hard to take down, not to mention he's part Rock-type, so he gets an extra 50% Special Defense when sand is up. Like Landorus, Terrakion has access to both Rock Polish and Swords Dance, but Terrakion stands out with not only STAB on Close Combat, but a reliable (and powerful) secondary STAB in Stone Edge, which provides better type coverage than Ground/Rock. Terrakion actually has the ability to hit Pokémon like Bronzong with +2 Close Combat, whereas Landorus really can't touch them unless he uses Smack Down. With such great attacking stats and moves, Terrakion makes a fine user of Choice Band, but the only coverage move he has is X-Scissor. Quick Attack is worth mentioning because of its priority and ability to do decent damage when backed by Terrakion's huge Attack stat.
Double Booster
Terrakion @Life Orb/Leftovers/Air Balloon
Jolly/Adamant nature
Trait: Justified
4 HP/252 Att/252 Speed
~Swords Dance
~Close Combat
~Stone Edge
~Rock Polish/X-Scisor/Return
Choice
Terrakion @Choice Scarf/Choice Band
Adamant/Jolly nature
Trait: Justified
4 HP/252 Att/252 Speed
~Stone Edge
~Close Combat
~X-Scissor
~Quick Attack (CB only)/Rock Slide (scarf only)/Sacred Sword (either)
Terrakion @Life Orb/Leftovers/Air Balloon
Jolly/Adamant nature
Trait: Justified
4 HP/252 Att/252 Speed
~Swords Dance
~Close Combat
~Stone Edge
~Rock Polish/X-Scisor/Return
Choice
Terrakion @Choice Scarf/Choice Band
Adamant/Jolly nature
Trait: Justified
4 HP/252 Att/252 Speed
~Stone Edge
~Close Combat
~X-Scissor
~Quick Attack (CB only)/Rock Slide (scarf only)/Sacred Sword (either)
Defensive
Gliscor
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There's more than just offensive threats in a sandstorm. Defensive Pokémon are just as threatening in today's metagame as offensive ones. One of these great defensive threats is Gliscor. Gliscor got the ability Poison Heal through the Dream World, which is a godsend. Gliscor also gets access to Swords Dance, which can turn a defensive monster into an offensive sweeping threat. Gliscor gets STAB Earthquake to go along with Swords Dance and also has access to Ice Fang to cripple Flying-type Pokémon that are normally immune to Earthquake. Gliscor can also abuse U-turn, Taunt, Protect, and Substitute to turn into one of those Pokémon that just never dies.
Swords Dance
Gliscor @Toxic Orb
Impish nature
Trait: Poison Heal
252 HP/184 Def/72 Speed
~Swords Dance
~Earthquake
~Ice Fang
~Taunt/Protect/Substitute
SubProtect
Gliscor @Toxic Orb
Jolly Nature
Trait: Poison Heal
252 HP/40 Def/216 Speed
~Earthquake
~Protect
~Substitute
~Ice Fang/Taunt
Gliscor @Toxic Orb
Impish nature
Trait: Poison Heal
252 HP/184 Def/72 Speed
~Swords Dance
~Earthquake
~Ice Fang
~Taunt/Protect/Substitute
SubProtect
Gliscor @Toxic Orb
Jolly Nature
Trait: Poison Heal
252 HP/40 Def/216 Speed
~Earthquake
~Protect
~Substitute
~Ice Fang/Taunt
Skarmory
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While Skarmory technically doesn't abuse sand with Sand Force or anything cool like that, it is still a great defensive Pokémon to use on a sand team. Base 140 Defense with resistance to commonly used Dragon Claw, Outrage, Body Slam, and Power Whip makes him great on any team, but what really makes the metal bird shine is a great sand stall team. Skarmory is one of two Pokémon in OU that can set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes (the other being Ferrothorn). Skarmory can also phaze out physical attackers like Dragonite or Haxorus, or it can Brave Bird Conkeldurr or Machamp. Skarmory appreciates the sand a lot because of the extra damage it builds up alongside Spikes and Stealth Rock. In addition, Skarmory has excellent synergy with Tyranitar. Skarmory resists Tyranitar's Bug and Grass weaknesses while being immune to Ground. In turn, Tyranitar resists Skarmory's Fire weakness, and will freely switch into Thunderbolts aimed at Skarmory from Zapdos or Magnezone (if you use Shed Shell).
Physically Defensive
Skarmory @Leftovers/Shed Shell
Trait: Sturdy
Impish nature
252 HP/232 Def/24 Spe
~Roost
~Spikes
~Whirlwind
~Taunt/Brave Bird/Stealth Rock
Specially Defensive
Skarmory @Leftovers/Shed Shell
Trait: Sturdy
Careful nature
252 HP/232 SpDef/24 Spe
~Roost
~Spikes
~Whirlwind
~Taunt/Brave Bird/Stealth Rock
Skarmory @Leftovers/Shed Shell
Trait: Sturdy
Impish nature
252 HP/232 Def/24 Spe
~Roost
~Spikes
~Whirlwind
~Taunt/Brave Bird/Stealth Rock
Specially Defensive
Skarmory @Leftovers/Shed Shell
Trait: Sturdy
Careful nature
252 HP/232 SpDef/24 Spe
~Roost
~Spikes
~Whirlwind
~Taunt/Brave Bird/Stealth Rock
Ferrothorn
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Ferrothorn is normally thought of to be a rain abuser. However, he makes a great Pokémon to use in the sand as well. For starters, he can set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes. Thunder Wave allows Ferrothorn to slow down speedy Pokémon, which helps as many Sandstorm abusers are somewhat slow. Leech Seed combined with Sandstorm and entry hazards will rack up a lot of residual damage between turns. His Grass type also allows him to switch into Water-types like Starmie who commonly threaten sand Pokémon.
Standard tank
Ferrothorn @Leftovers/Shed Shell/Rocky Helmet
Relaxed nature
Trait: Iron Barbs
252 HP/48 Def/208 SpDef
~Spikes/Stealth Rock
~Leech Seed/Stealth Rock
~Gyro Ball/Protect/Thunder Wave
~Power Whip/Protect
Ferrothorn @Leftovers/Shed Shell/Rocky Helmet
Relaxed nature
Trait: Iron Barbs
252 HP/48 Def/208 SpDef
~Spikes/Stealth Rock
~Leech Seed/Stealth Rock
~Gyro Ball/Protect/Thunder Wave
~Power Whip/Protect
Bronzong
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Bronzong always has been, and always will be one of the best Stealth Rock users in the entire game. His typing (Steel/Psychic) gives him eight resistances and one immunity. If you use Levitate, that's another immunity; if you use Heatproof, you lose a weakness and gain another. Bronzong also has great stats in both defenses, allowing him to wall multiple things, and come in at pretty much any point in a match. Steel typing allows him to easily switch into Outrage, Dragon Claw, or Draco Meteor from anything save for CB Haxorus. Levitate, eliminating the ground weakness, gives Bronzong a whopping 1 weakness (Fire), which just gives it more chances to switch in and get Stealth Rock up. Bronzong has a gigantic amount of support moves including (but not limited to) Hypnosis, Toxic, and Stealth Rock, all of which are great moves to use on a sand team.
Tank
Bronzong @Leftovers
Sassy nature
Trait: Levitate
252 HP/84 Atk/80 Def/92 SpDef
~Stealth Rock
~Gyro Ball
~Hidden Power {Ice}/Toxic/Hypnosis
~Earthquake
***If you use HP Ice, you will need to use 2 Speed IV's rather than 0 to get a maximum powered HP Ice.
Dual Screens
Bronzong @Light Clay/Leftovers
Relaxed nature
Trait: Levitate
252 HP/152 Atk/8 Def/96 SpDef
~Reflect
~Light Screen
~Gyro Ball
~Earthquake/Hypnosis/Hidden Power {Ice}
**Again, use 2 Speed IV's rather than 0 if you chose to run HP Ice.
Bronzong @Leftovers
Sassy nature
Trait: Levitate
252 HP/84 Atk/80 Def/92 SpDef
~Stealth Rock
~Gyro Ball
~Hidden Power {Ice}/Toxic/Hypnosis
~Earthquake
***If you use HP Ice, you will need to use 2 Speed IV's rather than 0 to get a maximum powered HP Ice.
Dual Screens
Bronzong @Light Clay/Leftovers
Relaxed nature
Trait: Levitate
252 HP/152 Atk/8 Def/96 SpDef
~Reflect
~Light Screen
~Gyro Ball
~Earthquake/Hypnosis/Hidden Power {Ice}
**Again, use 2 Speed IV's rather than 0 if you chose to run HP Ice.
Styles and Partners of Sand
Offensive
One way to see sand played is offensive. Offensive sand uses lures, traps, and prediction in an attempt to sweep your opponent's team. Some teams are more offensive than others, but the basic strategy is all the same: sweep your opponent's team. One of the most common strategies was to use Hidden Power Ice Landorus to try and eliminate Pokémon like Gliscor so you can let your Terrakion sweep. Another strategy is to simply smash through your opponent's team with Pokémon like Choice Band Landorus- Landorus gets an attack boost from Choice Band, and Sand Force will boost Earthquake and Stone Edge even further. The goal behind this is to stack your own weaknesses so eventually, you wear down all of your opponent's counters, and you can just run through the rest of their team. Some Pokémon commonly seen on offensive sand include:
Heatran
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Although normally thought of as a massive threat only under the sun, Heatran serves well in sand teams. Heatran is part Steel, so it has plenty of good resistances. Heatran can also set up Stealth Rock, which frees up a move slot in your Tyranitar or your Skarmory which would normally do so. Hidden Power Ice or Grass are two of Heatran's favorite moves, allowing it to weaken, if not kill Pokémon like Wash Rotom, Gliscor, Landorus, Gastrodon, or Politoed which would otherwise ruin your attempt at a sweep. One must be careful against Landorus and Gliscor, however. Once Heatran's Air Balloon pops, you're toast. Heatran can also surprise Gliscor by running healthy Speed investment. Most Gliscor only run about 72 Speed EVs, reaching only 244 (enough to tie with 32 Speed Jirachi, or 36 Speed Celebi.) Heatran can reach up to 278 (or 277 with an imperfect speed IV).
Offensive
Heatran @Air Ballon/Life Orb
Trait: Flash Fire
Timid nature
4 HP/252 SpAtt/252 Spe
~Fire Blast
~Earth Power
~Hidden Power {Grass}/Hidden Power {Ice}
~Stealth Rock
Choice
Heatran @Choice Specs/Choice Scarf
Trait: Flash Fire
Modest (Specs)/Timid (Scarf) nature
4 HP/252 SpAtt/252 Speed
~Overheat (Specs)/Fire Blast (Scarf)
~Earth Power
~Hidden Power Ice/Grass
~Dragon Pulse/Flamethrower
Heatran @Air Ballon/Life Orb
Trait: Flash Fire
Timid nature
4 HP/252 SpAtt/252 Spe
~Fire Blast
~Earth Power
~Hidden Power {Grass}/Hidden Power {Ice}
~Stealth Rock
Choice
Heatran @Choice Specs/Choice Scarf
Trait: Flash Fire
Modest (Specs)/Timid (Scarf) nature
4 HP/252 SpAtt/252 Speed
~Overheat (Specs)/Fire Blast (Scarf)
~Earth Power
~Hidden Power Ice/Grass
~Dragon Pulse/Flamethrower
Wash Rotom
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Again, it doesn't abuse sand like Landorus does, but it's another great Pokémon to consider for a sand team. With STAB Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt, Wash Rotom can check bulky waters and Gliscor, both of whom hard counter most sand teams. He can also safely switch into Ground attacks aimed at Tyranitar, Fire attacks aimed at Skarmory, or Ice and Water attacks aimed at Gliscor and Landorus. Pain Split will ensure that it survives for most of the match, and the sole weakness to Grass lets is work in sync with Pokémon like Skarmory and Heatran quite well.
Standard WashTom
Rotom-W @Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
Modest nature
112 HP/252 SpAtt/144 Spe
~Hydro Pump
~Thunderbolt/ Volt Switch
~Will o Wisp/ Hidden Power {Fire}
~Pain Split
Choice
Rotom-W @Choice Specs/Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
Timid/Modest nature
252 SpAtt/4 SpDef/252 Spe
~Hydro Pump
~Thunderbolt/Volt Switch
~Hidden Power {Fire}/Hidden Power {Grass}/Hidden Power {Ice}
~Trick
Defensive WashTom
Rotom-W @Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
Bold nature
252 HP/168 Def/88 SpAtt
~Hydro Pump
~Thunderbolt
~Will o Wisp
~Pain Split
Rotom-W @Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
Modest nature
112 HP/252 SpAtt/144 Spe
~Hydro Pump
~Thunderbolt/ Volt Switch
~Will o Wisp/ Hidden Power {Fire}
~Pain Split
Choice
Rotom-W @Choice Specs/Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
Timid/Modest nature
252 SpAtt/4 SpDef/252 Spe
~Hydro Pump
~Thunderbolt/Volt Switch
~Hidden Power {Fire}/Hidden Power {Grass}/Hidden Power {Ice}
~Trick
Defensive WashTom
Rotom-W @Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
Bold nature
252 HP/168 Def/88 SpAtt
~Hydro Pump
~Thunderbolt
~Will o Wisp
~Pain Split
Scizor
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Scizor has always been one of the top OU Pokémon. This generation he is no different. Scizor is Steel/Bug, which means he has only one Weakness--to Fire--and does not take damage from sand in between turns. Scizor can spam U-turn to switch out on Pokémon like Heatran or Ninetales, allowing you to switch in an appropriate counter, such as Tyranitar or Terrakion. Scizor also packs moves such as Bullet Punch or Quick Attack + Technician to take out many Pokémon that could ruin sand sweepers such as Starmie, Froslass, or scarf Kyurem that could normally use super effective STAB Water and Ice-type attacks to take them out.
Choice Band
Scizor @Choice Band
Trait: Technician
Adamant nature
248 HP/252 Atk/8 Spe
~U-turn
~Bullet Punch
~Superpower
~Pursuit/Quick Attack
Swords Dance
Scizor @Leftovers/Life Orb
Trait: Technician
Adamant nature
252 HP/40 Atk/216 SpDef
~Swords Dance
~Roost
~Bullet Punch
~Bug Bite/Superpower/Brick Break
Scizor @Choice Band
Trait: Technician
Adamant nature
248 HP/252 Atk/8 Spe
~U-turn
~Bullet Punch
~Superpower
~Pursuit/Quick Attack
Swords Dance
Scizor @Leftovers/Life Orb
Trait: Technician
Adamant nature
252 HP/40 Atk/216 SpDef
~Swords Dance
~Roost
~Bullet Punch
~Bug Bite/Superpower/Brick Break
Celebi
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Celebi is a threat to consider in the sand because of how well it synchronizes with anybody on a sand team. Tyranitar + Celebi have almost perfect weakness/resistance coverage, only leaving a hole to Bug Pokémon. Celebi also has access to moves like Thunder Wave, Hidden Power Fire, and Earth Power, which all can be used on a switch to cripple Pokémon that would commonly as a check or counter Celebi such as Heatran, Scizor, Skarmory, Ninetales, or Tornadus. Base 100’s across the board let Celebi function as a threatening sweeper, or a great defensive pivot, whatever your team needs.
Nasty Plot
Celebi @Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
Modest nature
220 HP/252 SpAtt/36 Speed
~Nasty Plot
~Recover
~Giga Drain
~Hidden Power {Fire}/Earth Power/Psychic
Defensive
Celebi @Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
Bold nature
252 HP/220 Def/36 Speed
~Giga Drain/Grass Knot
~Recover
~Leech Seed/Thunder Wave
~Hidden Power {Fire}
Celebi @Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
Modest nature
220 HP/252 SpAtt/36 Speed
~Nasty Plot
~Recover
~Giga Drain
~Hidden Power {Fire}/Earth Power/Psychic
Defensive
Celebi @Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
Bold nature
252 HP/220 Def/36 Speed
~Giga Drain/Grass Knot
~Recover
~Leech Seed/Thunder Wave
~Hidden Power {Fire}
Virizion
[animate]640[/animate]
Virizion, much like Celebi, can be used as an offensive threat in sand to support your sand sweepers. Virizion switches into Tyranitar’s Ground, Water, and Grass weaknesses easily, while Tyranitar can swap into Fire attacks for little damage, and is immune to Psychic. Virizion can also absorb and not be OHKO’d by bug-moves, unlike Celebi, which will allow you to switch into a weak U-turn. (Don’t try switching into CB Scizor any time soon though.) Virizion can also run Hidden Power Ice to get rid of Gliscor, and its Dual-STAB typing allows it to significantly threaten Rain teams as well as opposing Tyranitar.
Offensive CM
Virizion @Leftovers
Timid nature
Trait: Justified
4 HP/252 SpAtt/252 Speed
~Calm Mind
~Giga Drain
~Focus Blast
~Hidden Power {Ice}
Swords Dance
Virizion @Leftovers
Hasty/Jolly nature
Trait: Justified
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Speed
~Swords Dance
~Close Combat/Sacred Sword
~Leaf Blade
~Hidden Power {Ice]/Stone Edge
Virizion @Leftovers
Timid nature
Trait: Justified
4 HP/252 SpAtt/252 Speed
~Calm Mind
~Giga Drain
~Focus Blast
~Hidden Power {Ice}
Swords Dance
Virizion @Leftovers
Hasty/Jolly nature
Trait: Justified
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Speed
~Swords Dance
~Close Combat/Sacred Sword
~Leaf Blade
~Hidden Power {Ice]/Stone Edge
Defensive
Defensive sand is played very differently than offensive sand. Defensively, your goal is to set up entry hazards such as Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes, and Spikes to wear down your opponent’s team. Sandstorm would build up extra residual damage alongside poison or burn or other status effects and residual damage at the end of each turn, so you would wear down your opponent’s team much quicker than you normally would. You also want to use Pokémon that phaze, or force your opponent to switch out. Roar, Whirlwind, Dragon Tail, and Overhead Throw all accomplish this. Yawn or Perish Song are other good moves to use, as the threat of Sleep or being Knocked Out might also make your opponent switch out. Pokémon to look for defensively in sand include:
Forretress
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Forretress remains a great Pokémon to use on any stall team. He’s the only Pokémon who possesses the ability to use Stealth Rock, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, AND Rapid Spin. Forretress also has massive base 140 Defense, decent base 90 Attack, and the new effect on Sturdy allows Forretress to get at least 1 layer of hazards up guaranteed. Gen 5 also gave him Volt Switch, allowing you to keep some form of momentum if things go awry. Magnezone has no problems outrunning and murdering Forretress with Hidden Power Fire, so if you see one on your opponent's team, be liberal in your Volt Switch use (unless you're using Shed Shell).
Physically Defensive
Forretress @Leftovers/Shed Shell
Relaxed nature
Trait: Sturdy
252 HP/176 Def/80 SpDef
~Spikes
~Toxic Spikes/Stealth Rock
~Rapid Spin
~Earthquake/Volt Switch/Gyro Ball
Specially Defensive
Forretress @Leftovers/Shed Shell
Sassy/Relaxed nature
252 HP/4 Def/252 SpDef
~Spikes
~Toxic Spikes/Stealth Rock
~Rapid Spin
~Earthquake/Volt Switch/Gyro Ball
Forretress @Leftovers/Shed Shell
Relaxed nature
Trait: Sturdy
252 HP/176 Def/80 SpDef
~Spikes
~Toxic Spikes/Stealth Rock
~Rapid Spin
~Earthquake/Volt Switch/Gyro Ball
Specially Defensive
Forretress @Leftovers/Shed Shell
Sassy/Relaxed nature
252 HP/4 Def/252 SpDef
~Spikes
~Toxic Spikes/Stealth Rock
~Rapid Spin
~Earthquake/Volt Switch/Gyro Ball
Gastrodon
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Gastrodon, like Ferrothorn, is often thought of as something that is more of a rain abuser than a sand abuser. Gastrodon does have a few things going for it in sand though. For one, it is a great special tank, and can absorb the water attacks with Storm Drain that are often aimed at Gliscor, Landorus, and Tyranitar. Gastrodon also takes no passive damage from sand between turns, and has a decent enough movepool between Scald, Earth Power, and Ice Beam to hit many things that threaten sand super effectively. Toxic, Stockpile, and Recover also allow Gastrodon to survive for pretty much the entire match.
Special Tank
Gastrodon @Leftovers
Calm nature
Trait: Storm Drain
252 HP/4 SPAtt/252 SpDef
~Scald/Earth Power
~Ice Beam
~Toxic
~Recover
Gastrodon @Leftovers
Calm nature
Trait: Storm Drain
252 HP/4 SPAtt/252 SpDef
~Scald/Earth Power
~Ice Beam
~Toxic
~Recover
Blissey
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Blissey doesn't really abuse sand, however it is still a great Pokémon to add onto any stall team at all. Wish's new mechanic means full heals for your Tyranitar or Hippowdon. Toxic will build up lots of damage over time when paired with the extra hurt caused by sand. Aromatherapy might also be a good idea to make sure that Tyranitar stays status free. So when building a sand stall team, be sure to think about Blissey.
Standard Fat Pink Blob
Blissey @Leftovers
Bold nature
Trait: Naturel Cure
252 HP/252 Def/6 SpDef
~Wish
~Protect/Softboiled
~Seismic Toss
~Toxic/Aromatherapy
Blissey @Leftovers
Bold nature
Trait: Naturel Cure
252 HP/252 Def/6 SpDef
~Wish
~Protect/Softboiled
~Seismic Toss
~Toxic/Aromatherapy
Sand in UU
Hippopotas
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Sand has permeated the Underused tier as well. Hippopotas joins the fray using the new item Eviolite to augment his walling capabilities, and many Pokemon who were outclassed as sand sweepers in OU have a chance to shine here.
Standard Sand Streamer
Hippopotas @Eviolite
Impish nature
Trait: Sand Stream
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpDef
~Stealth Rock
~Slack Off
~Earthquake
~Roar/Toxic
Hippopotas @Eviolite
Impish nature
Trait: Sand Stream
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpDef
~Stealth Rock
~Slack Off
~Earthquake
~Roar/Toxic
Regirock
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With the addition of Sand Stream to UU, Regirock can wreak havoc once your opponent's Fighting-types are KO'd. To start out with, Regirock has an absolutely enormous base 200 Defense, matched only by Steelix and Shuckle. Regirock however, has some very important traits the other two do not. Regirock has a decent base 80 HP, and base 100 Attack, which clearly set it apart from Shuckle, who has base 20, and 10 respectively. What sets Regirock apart from Steelix is the base 100 Special Defense compared to Steelix’s 65. Regirock’s Special Defense gets boosted further by the Sandstorm, which gives it an equivalent of a base 175 Special Defense. Regirock can also abuse his decent base 100 Attack, which can be boosted with Curse, as well as having great attacking options in Ice Punch, Stone Edge, and Earthquake.
Tank
Regirock @Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
204 HP/148 Atk/156 SpDef
Adamant/Careful
~Stealth Rock
~Stone Edge/Rock Slide
~Earthquake
~Thunder Wave/Ice Punch/Fire Punch
ResTalk Sweeper
Regirock @Leftovers/Chesto Berry
Trait: Clear Body
Careful nature
252 HP/4 Atk/252 SpDef
~Curse
~Rest
~Sleep Talk
~Rock Slide
Regirock @Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
204 HP/148 Atk/156 SpDef
Adamant/Careful
~Stealth Rock
~Stone Edge/Rock Slide
~Earthquake
~Thunder Wave/Ice Punch/Fire Punch
ResTalk Sweeper
Regirock @Leftovers/Chesto Berry
Trait: Clear Body
Careful nature
252 HP/4 Atk/252 SpDef
~Curse
~Rest
~Sleep Talk
~Rock Slide
Cradily
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Cradily, like Regirock, gets a huge boost in UU when used alongside Sand Stream. Cradily is Rock/Grass, so it’s not weak to Water or Ground-type attacks like normal Rock-types are. Cradily also has Decent HP, good Defense, and Great Special defense, which will get boosted, so it’s the perfect choice as a Curse sweeper. Suction Cups is something very few Pokémon can boast. Cradily can not be phazed out, so you can set up Curses freely on many things in UU. Cradily’s Rock/Grass STAB combo also gives it great type coverage, only being resisted by a few Pokémon.
ResTalk Sweeper
Cradily @Leftovers
Trait: Suction Cups
Careful nature
252 HP/80 Def/176 SpDef
~Curse
~Rest
~Sleep Talk
~Rock Slide/Seed Bomb
Swords Dance
Cradily @Leftovers
Impish nature
252 HP/200 Def/56 SpDef
~Swords Dance
~Seed Bomb
~Rock Slide
~Recover
Support
Cradily @Leftovers
Trait: Storm Drain
Relaxed nature
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpDef
~Stealth Rock
~Recover
~Rock Slide/Earthquake
~Energy Ball/Toxic
Cradily @Leftovers
Trait: Suction Cups
Careful nature
252 HP/80 Def/176 SpDef
~Curse
~Rest
~Sleep Talk
~Rock Slide/Seed Bomb
Swords Dance
Cradily @Leftovers
Impish nature
252 HP/200 Def/56 SpDef
~Swords Dance
~Seed Bomb
~Rock Slide
~Recover
Support
Cradily @Leftovers
Trait: Storm Drain
Relaxed nature
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpDef
~Stealth Rock
~Recover
~Rock Slide/Earthquake
~Energy Ball/Toxic
Registeel
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While not getting a nifty boost like its brother, Regirock, Registeel is still a great Pokémon to consider in sand. Registeel has a great set of resistances with its pure Steel typing, and is one of the best support Pokémon in the entire tier with access to Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, and Toxic. Registeel has great mixed wall stats with base 80 HP, and base 150 Defense and Special Defense. Registeel might lack the base 100 Attack that Regirock has, however, Registeel can also use Curse. If you are using a support set, you can also opt for Seismic Toss to make sure you have at least a decent damage output.
Support Registeel
Registeel @Leftovers
Careful nature
Trait: Clear Body
252 HP/4 Def/252 SpDef
~Stealth Rock
~Toxic/Thunder Wave
~Seismic Toss
~Iron Head
Mono-Attacker
Registeel @Leftovers
Careful nature
Trait: Clear Body
252 HP/4 Def/252 SpDef
~Curse
~Rest
~Sleep Talk
~Iron Head
Registeel @Leftovers
Careful nature
Trait: Clear Body
252 HP/4 Def/252 SpDef
~Stealth Rock
~Toxic/Thunder Wave
~Seismic Toss
~Iron Head
Mono-Attacker
Registeel @Leftovers
Careful nature
Trait: Clear Body
252 HP/4 Def/252 SpDef
~Curse
~Rest
~Sleep Talk
~Iron Head
Rhyperior
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A sand article including UU Pokémon just wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Rhyperior. Like all the other Rock-types in UU, Rhyperior gets the nifty Special Defense boost provided by sand. Rhyperior also has a unique ability in Solid Rock - Rhyperior actually takes 25% less damage from super effective moves. Rhyperior has great HP and Defense, and a giant base 140 Attack stat. Combine this with its ability and the sandstorm, and you’ll need more than a few priority attacks to take it down.
Support Rhyperior
Rhyperior @Leftovers
Adamant nature
Trait: Solid Rock
160 HP/252 Atk/96 Spe
~Stealth Rock
~Earthquake
~Megahorn
~Stone Edge/Rock Slide
Rock Polish
Rhyperior @Life Orb
Jolly nature
Trait: Solid Rock
252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
~Rock Polish
~Earthquake
~Stone Edge/Rock Blast
~Megahorn
Rhyperior @Leftovers
Adamant nature
Trait: Solid Rock
160 HP/252 Atk/96 Spe
~Stealth Rock
~Earthquake
~Megahorn
~Stone Edge/Rock Slide
Rock Polish
Rhyperior @Life Orb
Jolly nature
Trait: Solid Rock
252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
~Rock Polish
~Earthquake
~Stone Edge/Rock Blast
~Megahorn
Support Options
Sand has a couple of support options that will generally be good to have. First, Stealth Rock is required no matter the team- offensive or defensive. Spikes generally help too, although only 1 or 2 layers max will need to be up at any given time in an offensive team. Toxic Spikes aren’t necessary, but they sure are helpful on a stall team to help build up damage. A Rapid Spinner or a Poison-type of your own to absorb Toxic Spikes would be helpful. Since you will definitely play rain at some point, you need to make sure Tyranitar stays alive longer than Politoed, and getting Tyranitar poisoned isn’t going to help much. Wish support would help too, keeping Tyranitar’s health as high as possible. If you can’t find a way to keep Tyranitar alive, perhaps running a lure to take out Politoed or Ninetales would help - since you can’t keep Tyranitar alive longer, you’ll just have to make sure your opponent dies quicker. If you’re running a stall team, somebody with Roar, Whirlwind, or Dragon Tail will help build up damage quickly. A Wisher will be very useful, unless most of your team runs their own form of recovery.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article showed you just how deadly a sand team can be. It's versatile, it's powerful, and it will keep your opponent guessing almost every match. This article should have given you a basic run-through of Pokémon to watch out for, team ideas, strategies, and some effects that might be worth abusing. Thank you very much for reading; maybe you learned something. Good luck with any future teams you might build, whether they're with sand, or against it.