Team building process:
Hippowdon @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
- Slack Off
- Earthquake
Excadrill @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Rock Slide
Let's just start off with these two. I was wanting to build sand and these two are the obvious starting point. Smooth stone one hippo gives drill a lot of sand turns to work with. Since hippo is already obscenly bulky I didn't think it really needed the leftovers. Hippo is the rocker and phys def check which can also phase set up sweepers.
Chose focus sash on drill so that I can safely sack a mon, bring in drill, set up and sweep, or beat zam. Dropped rapid spin since I'm getting my speed from sand rush for rock slide which hits volcarona.
This pair has a few weaknesses that the next few mon will address. The first is that it wants some hazard control since drill is sash and lacks rapid spin. The next is that it doesn't have a good answer to special breakers/sweeper like volc, keldio, dragapult, hydregon etc, and it has trouble with rilaboom and azu.
Mantine @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Roost
- Haze
- Scald
Mantine seemed like a mon that addresses a lot of the issues that the sand core has. It's got incredible special bulk, water absorb for those threatening water types and access to defog and scald to burn physical breakers on the switch in.
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
Next up is banded t-tar as a backup special wall, breaker and sand setter. Fire punch to punish ferro or Scizor switch ins, stone edge and crunch for stab and earthquake for magearna.
With these 4 I still have a glaring azu, rilaboom, and urshifu problem so next up
Weezing-Galar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Strange Steam
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
- Clear Smog
Incredibly bulky check to azu and boom, and fighting types (especially urshifu). Basically anything not covered by hippo. Clear smog to stop belly drum and swords dance set ups, will o wisp to cripple, and pain split for recovery.
So far so good. Last mon I wasn't entirely sure who I should use so I went with the mon who should be banned.
Urshifu @ Choice Band
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wicked Blow
- Sucker Punch
- Close Combat
- U-turn
Not much to say, u turn for momentum, sucker for priority to check speedy mons like dragapult, Gengar, damaged zam, and zeraora, then two broken stab moves.
That's it. I'll add spirits later. I'm typing this post from my phone. Thanks ahead of time for any feedback.
Importable: https://pokepast.es/e3e52c629794f8b4
Hippowdon @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
- Slack Off
- Earthquake
Excadrill @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Rock Slide
Let's just start off with these two. I was wanting to build sand and these two are the obvious starting point. Smooth stone one hippo gives drill a lot of sand turns to work with. Since hippo is already obscenly bulky I didn't think it really needed the leftovers. Hippo is the rocker and phys def check which can also phase set up sweepers.
Chose focus sash on drill so that I can safely sack a mon, bring in drill, set up and sweep, or beat zam. Dropped rapid spin since I'm getting my speed from sand rush for rock slide which hits volcarona.
This pair has a few weaknesses that the next few mon will address. The first is that it wants some hazard control since drill is sash and lacks rapid spin. The next is that it doesn't have a good answer to special breakers/sweeper like volc, keldio, dragapult, hydregon etc, and it has trouble with rilaboom and azu.
Mantine @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Roost
- Haze
- Scald
Mantine seemed like a mon that addresses a lot of the issues that the sand core has. It's got incredible special bulk, water absorb for those threatening water types and access to defog and scald to burn physical breakers on the switch in.
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
Next up is banded t-tar as a backup special wall, breaker and sand setter. Fire punch to punish ferro or Scizor switch ins, stone edge and crunch for stab and earthquake for magearna.
With these 4 I still have a glaring azu, rilaboom, and urshifu problem so next up
Weezing-Galar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Strange Steam
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
- Clear Smog
Incredibly bulky check to azu and boom, and fighting types (especially urshifu). Basically anything not covered by hippo. Clear smog to stop belly drum and swords dance set ups, will o wisp to cripple, and pain split for recovery.
So far so good. Last mon I wasn't entirely sure who I should use so I went with the mon who should be banned.
Urshifu @ Choice Band
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wicked Blow
- Sucker Punch
- Close Combat
- U-turn
Not much to say, u turn for momentum, sucker for priority to check speedy mons like dragapult, Gengar, damaged zam, and zeraora, then two broken stab moves.
That's it. I'll add spirits later. I'm typing this post from my phone. Thanks ahead of time for any feedback.
Importable: https://pokepast.es/e3e52c629794f8b4
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