Hey guys this is my first RMT and I'm looking for a little advice on competitive battling in general as well as my team for the VGC Regionals this coming January. I will be making the TCG my first priority but I am expecting to compete in the VGC as well. I am a n00b to the VGC, my resources are somewhat limited for VG, I have no wifi yet but I may be able to get it, and I'm extremely stubborn Please bear with me here I like the idea of this team and want it to be the best it can be. Oh yeah, and I won't always perfectly EV train everything to 252/252/6 or whatever it is.
Aron Lv. 1
Ability: Sturdy
Item: Shell Bell
~Endeavor
~Protect
~Toxic
~Sleep Talk
This is a pretty standard FEAR Aron and any opponent that knows what they're doing can limit its effectiveness. However, with the proper gimmicks and mind tricks, it can still be a pretty fun and good Pokemon. I don't think that EVs and Natures matter on Lv.1s but please let me know if they somehow do! This is not by any means my primary Sand Summoner, but I run Sandstorm as a just-in-case move and I couldn't think of anything better for that last slot. Even if the opponent doesn't attack Aron, Endeavor still does a ton of damage. Please let me know if Pokemon get auto-leveled UP to Lv. 50 in this format, but I don't think it does because I remember it didn't in the Fall 2011 Regionals. I do know that they get leveled down to 50 though.
Tyranitar
Ability: Sandstream
Item: Chople Berry
Nature: Adamant
EVs: ???
~Pursuit
~Protect
~Earthquake
~Taunt
Almost every Pokemon on this team is going to revolve around the FEAR Aron. This may seem like a really bad strategy but I think I may have made it viable. Anyway, for T-tar, Pursuit and Earthquake are really brutal moves on T-tar and are good in general. If your opponent is opting to not attack Aron at all then EQ can activate the cruel Endeavor to 1 (Where Sandstorm finishes the foe off), or you can use Protect on Aron so it doesn't get hit by EQ or its opponent's moves. Pursuit murders ghosts whether they want to switch out or not and such a move is needed on this team because Aron cannot hit Ghosts with Endeavor. Protect is a utility move and is great if your opponent is going to finish off Aron AND going to hit T-tar, or if your opponent is just not hitting Aron at all. Taunt is to counter trolls using Taunt/Torment combo mainly and so you can predict the opponent's moves easier. Seems pretty legit, but advice is appreciated. Most always I will start by sending out T-tar and Aron.
Hippowdon
Ability: Sandstream
Item: Leftovers
Nature: (Forget what it was but I think it was +SpDef and -Spe)
EVs:???
~Protect/Earthquake
~Stockpile/Earthquake
~Slack Off
~Toxic
This team needs another sand-summoner and I will use this as well if I see that I am against another weather team. I realize that I am complete Taunt bait but I don't know what to take out for EQ. Maybe I can rely on other Taunters on my team? This is all stall/wall set and I think it's good. Toxic usually is used first and then you use Protect, Stockpile, and Slack Off to slowly KO all of the enemies. Not to mention it's incredibly annoying
Lumineon
Ability: Storm Drain
Item: Choice Scarf
Nature: + Spe, - Atk
EVs:???
~Ice Beam
~Surf/Scald
~U-Turn
~Soak
Yeah I can understand if some of you are like: "lol wut, he is a noob!", but let me explain. Soak is the main star of this Pokemon and I may not be abusing it correctly. Aron's strategy is pretty weak against ghosts immune to Endeavor, and Rock, Ground, and Steel types immune to Sandstorm. Soak is to fix that. I've tried to make this set really fast but I cannot use Swift Swim unfortunately. Storm Drain is to take water moves which is really helpful because both Sand-Summoners are weak to water and really helps Hippowdon tank a lot. Also, if your opponent tries to use two attacks to immediately take out Aron, and one of them is Water-type, then Storm Drain takes that water move and the other move will just activate a full-powered Endeavor! Surf is a generally good move especially because a lot of the Pokemon on this team know Protect. I'm not sure if I want to use Ice Beam or Blizzard. Ice Beam is generally the better move but Lumineon's SpAtk is not too spectacular and also hits two Pokemon. I don't really know though. U-Turn is just a good (filler) scouting move and generally useful on C-Scarf sets.
Basculin
Ability: Reckless/Adaptability
Item: Focus Sash
Nature: +Spe, -? (Not sure what to run)
EVs:???
~Scald
~Aqua Jet
~Final Gambit
~Soak
Another Soaker primarily and looks pretty gimmicky, I'll admit. Aqua Jet is just something to finish off stuff and is good if the opponent somehow gets rid of Sandstorm for a long period of time because after the opponent gets Endeavored to low health then Aqua Jet should finish it off whether Aron had full HP or 1 HP. I may use Scald just as an attacking move. Agility is to up speed so you'll get Soaks in before you get hit or die. Final Gambit + Fighting Gem is a funny combo and can be successful in taking out some mean threat when your opponent is certainly not expecting it. My explanation was a little shaky but it seems a fun set and not too bad either.
Garchomp
Ability: Sand Veil
Item: Dragon Gem/Yache Berry
Nature: + Atk or +Spe, -Def or -SpDef
EVs:???
~Ariel Ace
~Draco Meteor/Dragon Claw
~Earthquake
~Protect/Rock Slide
This is the set that I'm least sure about, as you can tell. I like Sand Veil as it is trollish in the sand, and it reminds me of how a BrightPowder on Thundurus won me two games at last year's Regionals. Life Orb would be used on the SD set and on that set I would still use Draco Meteor because otherwise I have no coverage to Dragons other than Lumineon's Ice Beam/Blizzard. Ariel Ace is mandatory because I have absolutely no coverage to Fighting otherwise. Dragon Gem is pretty cool because it will let Draco Meteor so absolutely massive damage on pretty much anything, but then the charade's over and your opponent will have an easier time taking out Garchomp once they know it has no Item.
So I think that's all! Thanks for reading and I'd really appreciate some tips on this team or just competitive VGC in general.
Aron Lv. 1
Ability: Sturdy
Item: Shell Bell
~Endeavor
~Protect
~Toxic
~Sleep Talk
This is a pretty standard FEAR Aron and any opponent that knows what they're doing can limit its effectiveness. However, with the proper gimmicks and mind tricks, it can still be a pretty fun and good Pokemon. I don't think that EVs and Natures matter on Lv.1s but please let me know if they somehow do! This is not by any means my primary Sand Summoner, but I run Sandstorm as a just-in-case move and I couldn't think of anything better for that last slot. Even if the opponent doesn't attack Aron, Endeavor still does a ton of damage. Please let me know if Pokemon get auto-leveled UP to Lv. 50 in this format, but I don't think it does because I remember it didn't in the Fall 2011 Regionals. I do know that they get leveled down to 50 though.
Tyranitar
Ability: Sandstream
Item: Chople Berry
Nature: Adamant
EVs: ???
~Pursuit
~Protect
~Earthquake
~Taunt
Almost every Pokemon on this team is going to revolve around the FEAR Aron. This may seem like a really bad strategy but I think I may have made it viable. Anyway, for T-tar, Pursuit and Earthquake are really brutal moves on T-tar and are good in general. If your opponent is opting to not attack Aron at all then EQ can activate the cruel Endeavor to 1 (Where Sandstorm finishes the foe off), or you can use Protect on Aron so it doesn't get hit by EQ or its opponent's moves. Pursuit murders ghosts whether they want to switch out or not and such a move is needed on this team because Aron cannot hit Ghosts with Endeavor. Protect is a utility move and is great if your opponent is going to finish off Aron AND going to hit T-tar, or if your opponent is just not hitting Aron at all. Taunt is to counter trolls using Taunt/Torment combo mainly and so you can predict the opponent's moves easier. Seems pretty legit, but advice is appreciated. Most always I will start by sending out T-tar and Aron.
Hippowdon
Ability: Sandstream
Item: Leftovers
Nature: (Forget what it was but I think it was +SpDef and -Spe)
EVs:???
~Protect/Earthquake
~Stockpile/Earthquake
~Slack Off
~Toxic
This team needs another sand-summoner and I will use this as well if I see that I am against another weather team. I realize that I am complete Taunt bait but I don't know what to take out for EQ. Maybe I can rely on other Taunters on my team? This is all stall/wall set and I think it's good. Toxic usually is used first and then you use Protect, Stockpile, and Slack Off to slowly KO all of the enemies. Not to mention it's incredibly annoying
Lumineon
Ability: Storm Drain
Item: Choice Scarf
Nature: + Spe, - Atk
EVs:???
~Ice Beam
~Surf/Scald
~U-Turn
~Soak
Yeah I can understand if some of you are like: "lol wut, he is a noob!", but let me explain. Soak is the main star of this Pokemon and I may not be abusing it correctly. Aron's strategy is pretty weak against ghosts immune to Endeavor, and Rock, Ground, and Steel types immune to Sandstorm. Soak is to fix that. I've tried to make this set really fast but I cannot use Swift Swim unfortunately. Storm Drain is to take water moves which is really helpful because both Sand-Summoners are weak to water and really helps Hippowdon tank a lot. Also, if your opponent tries to use two attacks to immediately take out Aron, and one of them is Water-type, then Storm Drain takes that water move and the other move will just activate a full-powered Endeavor! Surf is a generally good move especially because a lot of the Pokemon on this team know Protect. I'm not sure if I want to use Ice Beam or Blizzard. Ice Beam is generally the better move but Lumineon's SpAtk is not too spectacular and also hits two Pokemon. I don't really know though. U-Turn is just a good (filler) scouting move and generally useful on C-Scarf sets.
Basculin
Ability: Reckless/Adaptability
Item: Focus Sash
Nature: +Spe, -? (Not sure what to run)
EVs:???
~Scald
~Aqua Jet
~Final Gambit
~Soak
Another Soaker primarily and looks pretty gimmicky, I'll admit. Aqua Jet is just something to finish off stuff and is good if the opponent somehow gets rid of Sandstorm for a long period of time because after the opponent gets Endeavored to low health then Aqua Jet should finish it off whether Aron had full HP or 1 HP. I may use Scald just as an attacking move. Agility is to up speed so you'll get Soaks in before you get hit or die. Final Gambit + Fighting Gem is a funny combo and can be successful in taking out some mean threat when your opponent is certainly not expecting it. My explanation was a little shaky but it seems a fun set and not too bad either.
Garchomp
Ability: Sand Veil
Item: Dragon Gem/Yache Berry
Nature: + Atk or +Spe, -Def or -SpDef
EVs:???
~Ariel Ace
~Draco Meteor/Dragon Claw
~Earthquake
~Protect/Rock Slide
This is the set that I'm least sure about, as you can tell. I like Sand Veil as it is trollish in the sand, and it reminds me of how a BrightPowder on Thundurus won me two games at last year's Regionals. Life Orb would be used on the SD set and on that set I would still use Draco Meteor because otherwise I have no coverage to Dragons other than Lumineon's Ice Beam/Blizzard. Ariel Ace is mandatory because I have absolutely no coverage to Fighting otherwise. Dragon Gem is pretty cool because it will let Draco Meteor so absolutely massive damage on pretty much anything, but then the charade's over and your opponent will have an easier time taking out Garchomp once they know it has no Item.
So I think that's all! Thanks for reading and I'd really appreciate some tips on this team or just competitive VGC in general.