UU sandstorm team

[omgocd]

Team at a glance:

Hippopotas(female) @ focus sash
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 SpD
Nature:Bold
Abilitly: Sand stream
~Stealth Rock
~Attract
~Toxic
~Sleep Talk

Hippopotas is the only real option for a lead on a UU sand team. I gave it focus sash so it can at least get stealth rock up. Sleep talk helps against sleep leads. Setting up sandstorm and rocks are the only real goals of this, but toxic and attract can be useful against pokemon who don't just kill it. It's female because almost everyone leaves their pokemon as males.

Regirock @ choice band
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 HP, 4 Spe
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Clear body
~Stone Edge
~Earthquake
~Ice Punch
~Explosion

In sandstorm, this thing has great natural defenses. Maxing HP and Atk makes this a formidable bulky sweeper with a choice band. Stone edge is a strong STAB move, earthquake and ice punch give great coverage, and explosion brings down a lot of things once regirock is worn down. The defenses of this set really make it easy to bring in, and it offensive power is very threatening.

Cradily @ Leftovers
EVs: 112HP, 252 Atk, 144 Def
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Suction cups
~Swords Dance
~Stone Edge
~Seed Bomb
~Recover

Another physical sweeper, but this one sets up with swords dance instead. Its attacks are its STAB moves, which so far have proven to work decently. However, I am considering switching seed bomb to earthquake. This thing can take some hits, so it is pretty easy to get at least one swords dance, and recover emphasizes its defensive ability. Suction cups means it can't be phazed out, which is always a plus. The main drawback to this is its speed, leaving it easy prey for a status inducer. (Paralysis doesn't matter much, but burn, sleep, and toxic can cause major problems.)

Gastrodon @ Leftovers
EVs: 212 HP, 252 Def, 44 SpA
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Sticky Hold
~Surf
~Ice Beam
~Earthquake
~Recover

I originally picked this because I Wanted a bulky water that didn't take damage from sandstorm, and it can use recover. I didn't think it could do much, but I've found out that it actually works quite well. It's good typing, High HP, and recover make it hard to kill easily. It covers quite a few types with its moves. Although it is not very powerful, its combination of survivability and coverage allow it to beat many other pokemon one on one. Its biggest weakness is toxic. (and grass, but its usually pretty obvious when someone has HP grass, and it's not the most common attacking type either.)

Camerupt @ Life Orb
EVs: 4HP, 252 SpA, 252 Spe
Nature: Modest
Ability: Solid Rock
~Rock Polish
~Fire Blast
~Earth Power
~HP Grass

This guy completes the popular UU core of fire, water, and grass. Getting Him in is not easy, but if I can pull off a rock polish while the opponent switches, It can deal some good damage. The STAB moves are very useful, and HP grass is the best way to deal with water pokemon, beacuase Gastrodon and Quagsire are more common than Mantine. There isn't a whole lot to say about this guy, except that Azumaril with its Aqua jet completely destroys it, which isn't good, considering how common that is in UU. Probably the first pokemon I would change on my team. It's good, but it's just not supported well by my other pokemon.

Steelix @ Chesto Berry
EVs: 252 HP, 4 Atk, 252 SpD
Nature: Sassy
Ability: Rock Head
~Curse
~Rest
~Gyro Ball
~Earthquake

Max HP and Special defense, while curse bolsters its attack and defense. He also has a speed IV of 0, so Gyro ball hits as hard as possible. Two decent STAB moves powered up by curse and the free heal provided by the rest chesto combo make this quite an effective bulky sweeper. I also use this to absorb status. Not really much to say about this, it takes hits well, dishes out damage after some set up, and can heal itself.

Well, there's my team. It's relatively new, but so far it has been working pretty well. There are however some problems. The biggest problem is that there are 3 water weaknesses (4 if u count hippopotas, but I don't really care about him), and no one to resist them. This reason alone makes me consider using Quagsire over Gastrodon, as water absorb could really come in handy, Although I have found Gastrodon quite useful. I also have 3 fighting and ground weaknesses, but Regirock can still take the hits and hit back hard. There is also the lack of special offense. Once camerupt goes down, all I have left are Gastrodons surf and ice beam, which aren't really meant to sweep. There are also 3 grass weaknesses, with no resists, but those aren't very common, and my 3 that take them neutral can come in and set up decently. I was thinking about switching camerupt for cacturne, as he could take water and grass decently, and also become very annoying with his evasion boost. If I did, I would probably use a choice specs set, because my team is lacking in the special attack department, and it would be more unexpected than the common sub-punch set.

 

[omgocd]

bump

 

[Peachfuzz]

And neither of you try to recommend ways to fix these problems...

Hippototas' moveset needs some serious fixing. Earthquake and Stealth Rock should be givens. I recommend in the last two slots Roar and Protect. Hippototas' best job on an UU sandstorm team is setting up rocks and scouting (about all it could do). Protect helps a lot vs. lead Ambipom and lead scarfers. It can also build up residual damage from sandstorm and from the Toxic Spikes I'm about to suggest. Hippo makes a decent staller with it's passable defenses. That's the most you'll ever get out of it.

For pokes with such high defenses on this team, but fairly low damage output, I recommend a Toxic Spiker somwhere. Try out this Roserade:

Roserade (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP/252 Spd/4 SDef
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Energy Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Sleep Powder/Rest
- Toxic Spikes/Spikes

Roserade gives you an excellent switch into water types, who as of right now give your team major problems. Even Ice Beams from defensive water types are taken well. It works well at the beginning of the match, and later you can Explode on it with Regirock and sweep with Steelix. If you find yourself not being able to keep Toxic Spikes from being absorbed (in my experience it's very hard, however, the rest of your team deters opposing Drapion and Roserade well), you can try Rest and Spikes. Sleep Powder and T Spikes are better for a more stallish approach, and Rest and Spikes provide more immediate damage. Note that Sleep Powder and Spikes are illegal together. The question is where to put this. I would try it over Cradily. You have two other good physical attackers in Regirock and Steelix. And not everything on a sandstorm team has to be immune to sandstorm.

I guess if Camerupt is not working well, you could try switching HP Grass to Explosion and changing the nature to Naive. Explosion is cool for clearing water types and Chansey, allowing your team to have a much easier time. Naive is better because otherwise priority attacks like Ambipom Fake Out and Sucker Punch will be doing more.

Try out those changes and report back with your experiences. Sandstorm isn't easy to make in UU! Good luck.