INTRO
Hey, all, welcome to my 2nd RMT. I've stumbled upon the joys of sand offense recently and found a core I feel has good promise---Pinsir + Sand. I'm mostly posting this because I genuinely have struggled to find a build of this team I feel is definitively the best it can be, so I've come once again to ask for Smogonites' help. I'm also quite bored, so why not make an RMT? These things are always fun.
THE_TEAM
I began building around Mega-Pinsir for it's amazing balance breaking power. The sole defensive 'mon Pinsir doesn't utterly thrash at +2 is phys. def. Skarm, which is not only easy to pressure, but can be trapped by Magnezone. Unlike numerous other mega breakers, Pinsir has the bonuses of threatening more offensive builds with how hard it can be to revenge kill late game if something hasn't been dedicatedly saved to RK this thing (like scarf-Tar or an electric). All in all, very underrated 'mon that should see more action given how well it performs with proper support.
I had struggled to find consistently effective partners for Pinsir, as it somewhat blurs the line of sweeper and breaker, meaning it's not the most effective wincon vs. offense (which commonly pack electrics to check Talonflame, so as long as the electric sits above ~50%, Pinsir can't sweep). Pinsir is checked by loads of common pivots and phys. def. 'mons despite being so good, so pairing Pinsir with something that can a) take advantage of Lando, Rotom, Slowbro being pressured and b) cover its crippling weakness to electric made sense. An Excadrill + Ttar sand core seemed like the next logical progression, as they cover electrics well between a speedy immunity and sp. def. tank. In addition to the crucial electric coverage, sand cores offer amazing role compression, including but not limited to 1) spin support, 2) rocks support, 3) a Talonflame check, 4) a pursuit trapper, 5) a solid offense breaker, and 6) a potential bulky ground lure in Ice Beam Ttar. All of those roles, plus how much Excadrill appreciated Pinsir pressuring Lando, Hippo, etc. convinced me Pinsir + sand was a good match.
After adding sand, I realized I would have to go through the teambuilding hoops of patching up the stacked weaknesses sand cores bring. Ttar and Exca have miserable defensive synergy in exchange for the deadly combo of Sand Rush + Sand Stream, so the like of Azu, Breloom, Keldeo, and a few bulky waters like Slowbro and Rotom looked extremely threatening. To address these issues, I added Tbolt Latios---a 'mon capable of dealing with most fat waters extremely well while luring one of sand's biggest sweeping roadblocks in Azumarill. Latios is also the obligatory Keldeo switchin, which is necessary on literally every ORAS OU team.
Between Pinsir, Excadrill, Ttar, and Latios, Azumarill has a field day killing everything, which necessitates a dedicated switchin. Offensive switchins to Azumarill are virtually nonexistent due to how hard it hits, so my options were realistically Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Skarm. The team additionally lacked a decent answer to the bulky grounds that troubled it immensely. Amoonguss and Skarm were immediately disregarded, as Amoonguss fails to do anything defensively vs. sand offense (which I was quite weak to at this point), and Skarm compounded my team's weakness to Rotom-W. I ultimately went with phys. def. Tangrowth over Ferro for its ability to blanket check a decent chunk of physical attackers and ability to pivot in and out repeatedly thanks to Regenerator.
My team's weaknesses at this point were 'mons like Scizor, Bisharp, Garchomp, Diancie, Weavile, and a few fat grounds, so I settled on Scarf Keld to manage these threats. I felt the extra speed control was necessary at the time, but I often changed between running LO RestTalk, Specs, and CM while testing. Tang and Tar's fourth moveslot was changed from HP fire and Ice Beam (respectively) to things like Stun Spore and Thunderwave during testing, and I never really found a definite moveset for either for this variant of the team.
I very quickly grew frustrated with Tangrowth's passivity and felt as though it clashed with the 'go-go-go' mentality of the Sand Rush Exca + Pinsir core. I wanted something that could defensively handle Azumarill while still exerting some form of pressure on the opposition aside from a 75% hit rate sleep move, so I looked to spikes Ferrothorn to substitute in for Tang. Ferro's gyro ball and power whip are actually very irritating to most offensive builds, meaning I could retain some decent offensive presence when pivoting into things like Azumarill and Rotom-W---something Tang lacks completely. I also gained more hazard pressure, meaning I could pressure the opposition's spins and defogs easier, whittle certain 'mons into range, and generally have something to do while Ferro was sitting infront of a Rotom-W or choice-locked water move. At this point, I was still running Smooth Rock Ttar, but after realizing how horribly Torn-T weak the build was, I opted for Chople + TWave Tyranitar to effectively neuter its fantastic speed and render it susceptible to Pinsir's returns and the like.
Latios was substituted with Latias since I felt like Healing Wish support on Pinsir teams is too valuable, as it let's Pinsir break earlier and more recklessly. Latios mostly played a more complimentary and passive role on the team anyway, so the additional defenses Latias has seemed like a more favorable proposition. The speed control offered by Scarf Keldeo was substituted by Thunderwave on both Tyranitar and Ferrothorn, with Sand Rush Excadrill serving as an emergency button for certain threats.
A_Closer_Look
Tyranitar @ Chople Berry | Sand Stream
Impish | EVS: 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 Sp Def
• Stone Edge
• Pursuit
• Thunder Wave
• Stealth Rock
Tyranitar serves as the team's obligatory Stealth Rock user and obligatory Sand Stream carrier. Tyranitar's longevity is vital to the success of the team, so the standard support set with enough EVs to tank hits from Zard-X works wonders on this build. There isn't much to say about support Tar on a sand team; it's a staple for a good reason.
The only oddities on this variant worthing noting are the presence of a Chople Berry over Smooth Rock and Thunder Wave over a special move. The function of these two things are to tank a Superpower from the otherwise impossible to deal with Torn, cripple it with a Thunder Wave, and then watch as it gets maimed by the rest of the team. It also helps Tyranitar check Fighting-coverage reliant special attacking 'mons like Alakazam and Gengar, both of which are frustrating to deal with when sand isn't up.
Ferrothorn @ Chople Berry | Iron Barbs
Relaxed | EVS: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 Sp Def
• Gyro Ball
• Power Whip
• Thunder Wave
• Spikes
Ferrothorn is the team's answer to the sand-slaying Azumarill, as well as second and final component of the team's defensive backbone. Originally a phys. def. Tangrowth, Ferrothorn allows me to maintain some kind of pressure while accomplishing the goal of pivoting into whatever a bulky grass would pivot into. The fear of hazards, Thunder Wave, or a meaty Gyro Ball all enable Ferro to keep up some degree of offensive presence while still supporting the team defensively---something Tang can't do. Opting for Ferro over Tang sacrifices defensive utility vs. things like Garchomp and Lopunny for the ability to take pressure off of Excadrill when facing fairies and Lati@s, meaning the likelihood of Exca living to sweep at the right moment is that much higher. Ferro can additionally pivot far more reliably into special waters, which supplements Tbolt Latias to some degree.
The set may look goofy due to the lack of Leech Seed, but given how fast I tend to play the team, it seemed to be a huge momentum killer that offered little in return. Chople Berry helps deal with annoyances like Garde, and has the added benefit of helping Ferro survive hits from Breloom so it can nail it with Gyro Ball.
Keldeo @ Choice Specs | Justified
Timid | EVS: 4 Def / 252 Sp Atk / 252 Spe
• Hydro Pump
• Scald
• Secret Sword
• Icy Wind
Keldeo serves as the team's offensive answer to the bulky grounds that trouble the core of Exca + Pinsir, as well as helping Pinsir break down defensive cores with ridiculously heavy hitting attacks. Keldeo was opted for over Manaphy or any other water for it's ability to check annoying darks like Bisharp and Weavile that would otherwise trouble the team immensely. Keldeo also greatly appreciates Tyranitar's pursuit support to burst through those Lati/Lando/Keld/Steel offensive builds that appear frequently on the ladder and in tours. In addition to being one of the team's two wallbreakers, Keldeo also leads well vs. a lot of teams, meaning my potential lead options aren't as weak as they would be without Keld on the build.
Latias @ Life Orb | Levitate
Timid | EVS: 4 Def / 252 Sp Atk / 252 Spe
• Draco Meteor
• Thunderbolt
• Roost
• Healing Wish
Formerly Latios, Latias is a crucial "glue" addition to my team's sand core, checking Keldeos and misc. waters that blow straight through Excadrill and Tyranitar. Latias supports the team immensely: it lures and potentially KOs both Azumarill and Skarmory (two complete stops to the machine that is sand offense), acts as a pseudo-pivot with it's massive natural special bulk and roost, and can revitalize crucial wincons should they be near fainting using Healing Wish. I'm not running defog because of the presence of Excadrill as well as the pressence of my own spikes, which is a bit of an oddity on Latias. I also get a tertiary electric check out of Latias, which helps remove the burden of dealing with electrics from the shoulders of my sand core.
Excadrill @ Life Orb | Sand Rush . . . "Resetti"
Jolly | EVS: 252 Atk / 4 Sp Def / 252 Spe
• Earthquake
• Iron Head
• Rock Slide
• Rapid Spin
Excadrill is the team's wincon vs. faster and frailer builds, hazard remover, and second half to the team's sand core. In sand, Excadrill provides extremely crucial speed control that allows me to handle hyper offensive builds well that the team may otherwise struggle with, as well as force in checks to Pinsir like Landorus. Pinsir in tandem with Excadrill form a two-pronged offensive force that focus on wearing down their shared defensive answers until one of the two can break through and turn out a win. For instance, lets say an opposing Amoonguss just KO'd my Ferro with an HP fire, leaving me an opening to switchin in my unmega'd Pinsir. Recognizing that their team is weak to Keldeo without Amoonguss, the opposition switches in their Landorus-T to sponge the threatening Aerilate Frustration. Pinsir deals 33% to 40% thanks to Hyper Cutter nullifying Intimidate, and then deals another 33% to 40% when Lando uses rocks. Landorus is now in range of Excadrill's Iron Head, meaning their once alive and well sand check is on the verge of death because Pinsir pressured that specific switchin.
The set is standard Life Orb + 4 attacks Excadrill because I want immediate power with my limited sand turns. Rapid spin is vital to the success of Pinsir in breaking down fatter builds, and x2 speed Excadrill does a fantastic job of creating openings to spin away rocks.
Pinsir-Mega @ Pinsirite | Hyper Cutter > Aerilate
Jolly | EVS: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Happiness: 0
• Frustration
• Quick Attack
• Close Combat
• Swords Dance
Mega-Pinsir is the team's centerpiece and core wallbreaker, fulfilling roles like checking annoying grasses to sand like Breloom and Tangrowth and softening the opposition for a potential Excadrill sweep. As I stated earlier, Pinsir is an extremely underrated balance breaker, as it's only truly solid defensive answer is Skarm (and Zapdos, but it's extremely rare), meaning most cores are left severely weakened once Pinsir gets an opening to spam Frustration. Its synergy with Excadrill is incredibly solid as well, since they are capable of weakening each others checks relatively easily while dealing with the other's complete roadblocks decently (Exca handling electrics, Pinsir handling Tang, Breloom, Keldeo, etc.). Pinsir can additionally supply emergency speed control in Quick Attack, KOing a lot of common offensive threats that don't resist it once they hit the 35%-40% range.
Threatlist
Tornadus-T (LO or AV): Good god, I hate this thing. Prior to my change to Chople Tar, I had zero answers to those obnoxious Heat Wave + Superpower variants, meaning I would pretty much auto-lose to any team with a Tornadus. Even with Chople Tar on the team, it's still immensely annoying, as it can just U-turn out of Tar or nail it with an initial Superpower on the switchin, meaning my answer is now just complete fodder to another Superpower.
Ending Remarks
Thanks for reading! Any input (no matter how slight) would be appreciated :)
IMPORTABLE
Tyranitar (F) @ Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
Ferrothorn (F) @ Chople Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
- Spikes
Keldeo-Resolute @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind
Latias @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- Roost
- Healing Wish
Resetti (Excadrill) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Pinsir-Mega (M) @ Pinsirite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Shiny: Yes
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Frustration
- Quick Attack
- Close Combat
- Swords Dance
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
Ferrothorn (F) @ Chople Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
- Spikes
Keldeo-Resolute @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind
Latias @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- Roost
- Healing Wish
Resetti (Excadrill) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Pinsir-Mega (M) @ Pinsirite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Shiny: Yes
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Frustration
- Quick Attack
- Close Combat
- Swords Dance
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-380258900 < Tangrowth replay
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-380341896 < Tangrowth replay
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-381547310
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-380341896 < Tangrowth replay
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-381547310
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