How to Counter Sand Teams in Pokémon VGC | Strategy Guide

I need some help because I'm just getting cooked by 1 specific team and I'm seeing it every 3 out of 5 games or something

Sand staraptor
Ttar
Gholdengo
Staraptor
sinischa
milotic
and Drill

and i just don't know how to deal with it because if i lead wrong i just lose the damn game instantly and even with good leads it feels like such a tough match up and i don't get why

Meganium can practically one shot the entire team but it feels so hard getting it in position

Staraptor is my biggest problem because i have no leads for it
Meganium is threatened by brave bird
i try leading with Meganium sinischa but if they have Gholdengo lead they threaten to one shot with make it rain and since my Meganium is slow I can't hit it before it hits me
if i lead aero i get intimidated and duel wingbeat keeps failing to one shot staraptor

If i lead gambit i risk CC

if i lead Sableye i still have the speed problem and I can't quash Gholdengo

It does not the problem comes if they lead sinischa (which has happened in 2 matches) and i usually trade basc and Sableye somehow keeps dying to shadow ball

it doesn't without at least 1 death
at least from the games i played

I'm just stumped

and pissed because i was at 12k position so close to mb2 now I'm down to 80k

on sableye?

quash is crutial speed control most games

the problem really isn't basc getting one shot by that sand team it's that it doesn't have enough damage or speed

maybe i add life orb

sounds wild that basc doesn't have enough damage

it's more like it's hard for my damage dealer to find openings to actually do the damage

the problem then is milotic

i won't have a way to deal with her because she just scalds or muddy waters my team

i just need to make openings

but i don't know how

my team is built completely around making openings so meganium can 1-2 shot the mega because it hits pretty much everything besides charizard y

actually maybe

i know right i'm surprised too by how well it works, thanks

it's just this one damn staraptor team

i clear anything else besides this one team

i've never had so much problems with staraptor until this one team

actually after a few seconds i don't think it will help much because both intimidate and i don't think ill one shot after that without mega

i think the best lead i can do is maybe life orb basc and sinischa

i need do to some calcs to see if -1 life orb can ohko

it's for opposing aerodactyl + Charizard y, a team my meganium is completely useless in

did the calcs even with life orb it just 2 shots Gholdengo without a death i can't do anything to Gholdengo

survivability is kinda a mook
i can survive hits but i lack pressure to fight back because staraptor intimidated my basculegion

maybe i add phantom force instead of last respects

LIFE ORB PHANTOM FORCE 1 SHOTS EVEN WITH -1

that might just be the tech

even if they switch into Ttar to tank in i can one shot ttar no problem

not with Pforce but like i mean after the switch

i can threaten ohko on ttar if they switch to resist phantom force

with wave crash

if i run 136 speed i out speed even the fastest ttar

not really enough room yeah

Aqua jet one shots Normal mega Charizard y and most Aerodactyl

if it's the bulky Charizard yes

If it's bulky Charizard
i out speed
if it's normal max speed Charizard
i threaten to ohko with Rain dance boosted aqua jet

No problem
thanks for being here it really helps bouncing ideas off with someone

appreciate the help

136 basc with phantom force
gotta remember to do that when I'm on break lmao

yeah lmao slow day

i lose some damage because I have to switch to a jolly nature to hit 136
but i have life orb
that should make up the difference

Made those changes plus added coba better cause i need sinischa to survive Staraptor's brave bird so it can redirect Gholdengo's shadow ball into itself and help basc get phantom force off

Phantom force also let's me lead with Aerodactyl now that i think about it
because i can tailwind and out speed both Staraptor and Gholdengo to get phantom force off

Really greatful for ya for helping me come up with this tech
got something else to do so can't test it now but I'm really excited about it

Curious to see how that goes for you!

Ive been running into so many setup/boost mons ive swapped in unaware skeledirge, and its been a decent answer. Raptors a pest atm hahah

I'm legit locked out

lmao

Yeh was wondering what phantom force you were on about👀

you know I'm considering dropping gambit for incineroar here
for the archaludon match up and kingambit while fun hasn't been the most useful mon in game to game

Incin with Fake out parting shot Close combat and flare blitz with an expert belt maybe

Incin is always strong. What about gallade? Versatile, sacred sword, good coverage