ORAS OU Sand Fortress: an OU sand semi-stall

[Sambobz]

> Sand Fortress: an OU sand semi-stall <

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Introduction

Hey everyone this is my first RMT for ORAS OU, I decided to put my most played team up for rate!
I played mostly defensive sand teams in xy so naturally i wanted to try my favorite style in ORAS :D


The Team

Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Earthquake
- Crunch
- Fire Blast
- Stealth Rock


The big man on campus and sandstorm inducer #1 TYRANITAR MEGA, originally is was regular Tyranitar but I had the mega slot open so the added spD and atk were very welcome. Tyranitars primary job is to set up their team for an exca sweep, he does that best by surprising people with his immense special bulk and setting rocks. The biggest problem with mega-T is his lack of recovery he is a very important member and it is pretty difficult to keep him healthy throughout the long battle.

Hippowdon @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Slack Off
- Stone Edge Whirlwind
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang Toxic


Sandstorm inducer #2 Land Manatee, having sandstorm up all the time is super important to wear down the opponents team. A general purpose physical wall Ice Fang gives important coverage to 4x ice weak physical threats like Landorus-T, ect. this guy is mostly just a safe switch to get an extra turn of sand damage.

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 88 Def / 172 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Spikes
- Knock Off


One of the all-stars, Ferrothorn has so many tools to setup for exca. not much to say about a pretty standard poke other than knock off is super key to this team for getting rid of lefties so sand hurts more.

Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin


The win condition, stab earthquakes to finish off their half health team and my spinner. balloon makes life easier either for spinning or sweeping late game getting a free turn with ground immunity is game breaking.

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Aromatherapy
- Flamethrower/moonblast
- Calm Mind


needed someone to keep tyranitar healthy and stop CM Sableye-Mega Clefable does that amazingly. still cant decide whether moonblast or flamethrower is better...

Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 132 HP / 160 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Hurricane
- Heatwave
- Knock Off


Many pokemon held this last spot before i finally found a pokemon to fit in. Finally after so much trial and error I finally did it. Assault vest Tornadus-t does what Mega-T cannot, Tank million of special hits. this is my safe switch into any non-electric/ice(even some of those if their not super strong) special attacker that T-tar can't handle. move choices are for maximum utility. the poison chance from sludge bomb is huge against fairy walls and knockoff is for racking up the passive damage by getting rid of lefties.

​

 

[Scorpion056]

Hi,

First off nice team, i really like the idea but have you considered specs keldeo?
It will ohko t-tar and drill and does good damage to two other members, since you dont run speed on your tornadus its just a matter of hitting hurricane.

My advice would be to run something that you like that stops it ( i prefer tangrowth or talonflame)

. The only reason i say this is because i dont see clefable as a good swith in because the keldeo can just switch.

Happy battlin',
-scorpion056

 

[RaffaeleKing]

Its not really semistall,/thank god) looks like bulky balance or something. i like your team:]

 

[Albacore]

First of all, I think the sets you're running could do with some improvement. Torndaus-T should not be running a fully SpD spread since it really wants the ability to outspeed Starmie, Raikou, Serperior, base 110s (particularly Gengar) and especially Keldeo, as well as the power to OHKO Keldeo. A better spread would be 132 HP / 160 SpA / 216 Spe, it has enough speed to outpace Scarf Ttar to U-Turn out of it, and enough power to OHKO Keldeo with Hurricane, making it a much better check to Keldeo which, as mentioned above you are weak to. And run a Timid nature, U-Turn is nothing more than utility and does not need a power boost, and you defenitely want to conserve both bulk and speed

Also, I don't think Stone Edge or Ice Fang are that great on Hippowdon for this team: Stone Edge is useful for Talonflame and Thundurus, but Excadrill is already a pretty good check to both, while Ice Fang doesn't let you beat anything Gliscor doesn't already beat besides I guess Gliscor, and even then it can avoid it via Roost. I would instead run Whirlwind and Toxic : Whirlwind prevents sweepers from using Hippowdon as setup fodder and racks up hazards damage, while Toxic is great at crippling checks like Rotom and generally wearing down opponents. Also, invest in max HP on Hippowdon since it's more efficient for mixed bulk, and put the attacks EVs into SpD since Hippowdon really does not need offensive EVs given that it's purely a defensive Pokemon. If you think Gliscor is a problem then I'd recommend HP Ice over Sludge Wave on Torn-T, it lets it 2HKO standard SpD Gliscor (Icy Wind works too and has a better side effect, but has a lower chance of 2HKOing SpD Gliscor), and Sludge Wave doesn't strike me as too useful since it doesn't even 2HKO Clefable. Otehrwise, you can run Focus Blast for Heatran and Tyranitar, or Heat Wave for Skarmory, I think both will be more useful for you than Sludge Bomb.

Also, definitely run Moonblast on Clefable, it needs a main STAB move especially since it loses to Keldeo and all kinds of other stuff it's supposed to check without it.


Now, I don't think Mega Tyranitar really works on this team: it doesn't cover anything threatening to your team and increases your weaknesses to Keldeo, and Fighting- and Water-types in general. All it does is act as a SR setter which Hippowdon is much better at anyway. So, I would replace it with another Mega which can fit your team better. Defensively speaking, your team has nice synergy, but you need some kind of wallbreaker or hard-hitter, preferably one which can handle bulky steels like Heatran, Ferrothorn and Skarmory, which you have a bit of trouble with. Given that there are quite a few megas with wallbreaking capabilities, you have a number of choices.

My main suggestion would probably be Mega Charizard Y, not only does it smash Steels but it benefits from Sand support in an odd way: Sand resets Sun turns so that Yzard is less likely to switch in as sun is fading out. The presence of Sun on your team also makes you slightly less water-weak, though Keldeo is still a huge threat to watch out. However, it has trouble with Hetaran which can quickly get annoying if it manages to poison Hippowdon.

Another option would be a Fighting type mega like Mega Gallade or Mega Medicham, both of which can easily dispose of steels, and appreciate Hippowdon and Excadrill's abilities to check Flying types. They do struggle against Skarmory, but most variants are SpD and can't handle either. I would recommend Gallade a bit more since it can revenge kill Keldeo, which Medicham can not do, but Medicham has a much easier time breaking Skarmory.
You can also run Mega Heracross if you want something bulkier and more defensive which can more easily live hits from the likes of Keldeo, MHera also effortlessly sets up on Gliscor thanks to Swords Dance, however it is a bit slow.

Finally, you can leave your mega slot open by running HP Fire Manaphy, able to both wallbreak and lure Ferrothorn to facilitate an Excadrill sweep. It also takes on Keldeo decently provided that it is running either Energy Ball or Psychic (Energy Ball takes care of other Water types like Slowbro and Suicune which are also pretty big threats to you, your main check to them, Ferrothorn, is prone to get burnt by Scald; while Psychic lures MVenu which can be a huge pain for your team).

If you run Manaphy, you still have a Mega slot open, this mean you can run Defensive Mega Altaria over Clefable, and while you do lose Wish support, you gain a fantastic defensive Pokemon with an amazing typing and quite a lot of firepower, which has excellent synergy with Sand teams in general. You can even run a bulky DD set with Heal Bell if you want to keep the setup sweeping aspect of Clefable. Ŝo yeah, you have a lot of options here, but do make sure to carry a wallbreaker of sorts.

sets

Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 132 HP / 160 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Hurricane
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Icy Wind / Focus Blast / Heat Wave

Hippowdon @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Slack Off
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock / Toxic
- Whirlwind / Toxic

Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature / Modest Nature
- Fire Blast / Flamethrower
- Solar Beam
- Focus Blast
- Roost

Gallade (M) @ Galladite
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Zen Headbutt
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance

Medicham (M) @ Medichamite
Ability: Pure Power
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Zen Headbutt
- Fake Out / Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch (lures Slowbro) / Ice Punch

Heracross @ Heracronite
Ability: Guts
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe
Jolly Nature / Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Pin Missile
- Rock Blast
- Swords Dance

Manaphy @ Leftovers
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Tail Glow
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Energy Ball / Psychic

Altaria @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpD
Bold Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Roost
- Heal Bell
- Flamethrower

Altaria @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 96 SpD / 28 Spe
Impish Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Roost
- Return
- Heal Bell

 

[Sambobz]

totally agree with the hippowdon changes, i changed it in the OP.(clefable too)

And about the tornadus changes, He is not an offensive attacker he is a defensive pivot. he switches into almost all spA attackers that T-tar cant tanking icebeam/thunderbolts pretty important. out of all the pokemon im most skeptical about changing its t-tar and tornadus as unbreakable spD pivots. I have gone against many keldeo and never really had a problem is if a specs keldeo i can easily outplay it. if not tornadus can easily switch in every time and has guaranteed chance to KO after rocks/sand. this team almost never makes an offensive switch in, its all about keeping the opponent from gaining any momentum until sandstorm/rocks brings everybody in OHKO range of exca.
all the other changes you suggested turn the team into a balanced offensive team, which i would like to avoid since i'm really bad at that style XD.

"but you need some kind of wallbreaker or hard-hitter, preferably one which can handle bulky steels like Heatran, Ferrothorn and Skarmory"
Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Earthquake
- Crunch
- Fire Blast
- Stealth Rock
I cant tell u how often people switch in ferro and get OHKO'ed, also I cant think of a hazard remover besides scizor/superpower mew/excadrill that this guy cant switch into, which is pretty important. also i love tanking hydropumps with a rock type XD. its not really relevant as tyranitar should never stay in on keldeo but just for lolz
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump vs. 240 HP / 252+ SpD Mega Tyranitar in Sand: 228-270 (56.8 - 67.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

actually now that i think about it most games i lose are to superpower. and i have been thinking about jellicent but i dont know what to run on it or who to replace. really want to keep the identity of the team "stallish" and am very open to bigger changes that move it in that direction.

 

[Martin]

And about the tornadus changes, He is not an offensive attacker he is a defensive pivot. he switches into almost all spA attackers that T-tar cant tanking icebeam/thunderbolts pretty important. out of all the pokemon im most skeptical about changing its t-tar and tornadus as unbreakable spD pivots. I have gone against many keldeo and never really had a problem is if a specs keldeo i can easily outplay it. if not tornadus can easily switch in every time and has guaranteed chance to KO after rocks/sand. this team almost never makes an offensive switch in, its all about keeping the opponent from gaining any momentum until sandstorm/rocks brings everybody in OHKO range of exca.
all the other changes you suggested turn the team into a balanced offensive team, which i would like to avoid since i'm really bad at that style XD.

With the current spread, it is outclassed by AV Slowking - which also deals with Keldeo well. TBH, Tornadus-T really appreciates both the extra power and speed that a more offensive spread gives it. However, by an offensive spread, I don't mean a 252/252 spread. You run enough speed to outpace certain threats and KO others and invest the rest in bulk. The spread that I would recommend is 132 HP / 160 SpA / 216 Spe with a timid nature. This spread suits your team well because it retains the ability to reliably check Keldeo (which otherwise steamrolls this team) by not only outpacing it, but also guaranteeing an OHKO with Hurricane if it hasn't used Calm Mind yet. The speed outpaces Scarftar, ensuring that it doesn't come in and revenge kill you with Stone Edge while allowing you to U-turn out of it.

Additionally, I suggest using Heat Wave>Sludge Bomb due to the more offensively-oriented nature of the spread, it giving your team a way to beat Skarmory and Ferrothorn (because they really f*ck with your team if you don't have T-tar on the field) as well as your team not struggling with Fairies due to Excadrill coming in and bopping them anyway.

 

[Sambobz]

After playing this team more, i think it probably is best to make it more offensive. I will update the OP with my current changes and probably start on a new team to scratch my sand stall itch.

 

[slickyyDaGod]

This is a great solid team but one flaw i did notice was hippowdon's spread. A better spread would be 216 HP / 144 Def / 148 SpDef. This is well balanced team overall :]