Ground/Steel Ubers

[Lohrak]

Before this gets started, this is my team. If you visit Smogon's forums, you may have seen this already. I decided to post it here to garner more rates, and possibly different views than Smogonites (I assume some of you at least are very competent). As you can see, on Smogon's ladder, it peaked at #18. Okay, so it's not hard to climb the ladder with a half decent team. But I got a 7 win streak, my biggest streak yet.
Anyway, this is C/P'd from the original thread on Smogon with the same images as well.

Introduction​

So yeah, under the name Amaimon, I tried out a team I was using in Ubers on Smogon. The original team was a joke, I really didn't take it seriously. Later on I changed around a few things and then played on Smogon for awhile and found the only time I've gotten more than 2 wins in a row with it.
My last RMT was a Ground/Steel OU team, and for a league. This, however, was me taking those types to other tiers. Ground/Steel reaches to great heights as a combination, and Ubers isn't an exception. I wasn't sure about posting this originally but its success is greater than any other I've had, even with its restrictions (I build better teams when restricted than when I can use nearly anything @.@)

​

The only thing I have to say about this team is that this is the first I've used only ONE legendary Uber. I have a terrible habit of using as many of those as possible, which apparently is more negative than it is positive.

In Depth

urmomidk (Hippowdon) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Roar
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Slack Off​

When thinking about what I can use in Ubers with these types, first one in my head wasn't Excadrill, but Groudon. Then I thought about WHAT ELSE I could use, and Groudon obviously wasn't that great of a choice. Hippowdon decided to waltz in and give Excadrill the boost it needed, as well as provide a physical buffer. Generally special attackers would've been everywhere in Ubers in Gen IV, save a few. Gen V's introduction of more raw physical power motivated me to use Physically Defensive Hippowdon, who took 30% from a Scarf Zekrom's Outrage. The set itself is basic. Set rocks (although given the normal leads of Ubers, this is difficult until midgame). Roar out set up attackers (CM Pokes pose a problem). Slack Off to keep this fat weather starter alive, and EQ for obligatory STAB. Hippowdon's bulk has even allowed to tank a few neutral special hits, though it's not going to stay in for long to take a different attack.

Brutaka (Garchomp) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Blast​

Garchomp is extremely common on my teams. I love ScarfChomp. It's stopped so many sweepers outside Arceus by just spamming Outrage. EQ is also needed here (Can't expect less from a team with 5 Ground types). Stone Edge allows me to stop Ho-Oh as well, assuming I didn't kill the phoenix with Stealth Rocks. Not only that, I also have something to hit Lugia with, as it's ever so annoying. I obviously don't stay in, because of course it's going to use Reflect. Now for the craziest idea I've had using this guy: Fire Blast. Clearly that's for Skarmory, Forry and Ferro, right? How the hell am I gonna touch them in rain? Well, thing is, I don't use it unless I'm out of the rain (maybe Forretress, I actually only used it on Ferrothorn so far). I have Fire Fang available but find that pretty weak. I'm not using SD Chomp here. This is Scarf, it needs to do a lot right now.

Simon (Excadrill) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sand Rush
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw​

Yet another crazy idea of mine. "Jolly? Dafuq? USE ADAMANT." Now I'm gonna give my reasons for doing such a thing. Check out the Speed EVs. Reaches 276 speed maximum before Sand Rush activates. What's Adamant's max Speed? 275. Now, why the hell would I lessen my power just to outspeed other Excadrills, and why don't I just use max Speed? Well, thing is, I wanted to use the Bulky Excadrill set at first. But I found that underwhelming, and since this team doesn't worry about most hazards, I changed Excadrill to an SD sweeper. That's the point, though. I kept SOME bulk. Nothing huge or amazing, but it's more than there would be if I only had 4 HP EVs. And to me, the power is still nothing to be laughed at. Sets up one SD and it's still scary in sand. Even then, some Pokemon still die to a Jolly +0 EQ, Rock Slide, or Shadow Claw (which was chosen over X-Scissor since Darkrai dies to EQ and Shadow Claw hits Giratina).

Aegis (Gastrodon) @ Leftovers
Trait: Storm Drain
EVs: 244 HP / 12 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Scald
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
- Recover​

This tank was suggested to my last RMT to add special bulk. I figure with that, it's surely no slouch in Ubers. And it really isn't. Takes Kyogre's hits all day, Toxics Ogre to wear it down (Oh God if I see a SubCM I'm screwed, and already suffered a bit from facing CM+Rest). Scald's pretty much all I want for Water STAB, spread burns errywhur... assuming I'm lucky enough to even get one. I always have a tough time choosing between Earth Power and Ice Beam, but used Ice Beam so as to hit Dragons who may switch in. If Earth Power really is better, then I'll try it. I never tested Earth Power on this team anyway, so it may be worth the shot. Anyway, Gastrodon's literally the only thing to take rain lovers. This is the same problem the OU team had. And I have huge problems changing members when I become content with a team.

Catalyst (Gliscor) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Taunt
- Toxic
- Protect​

Gliscor's usually the last thing on my mind in ubers. It really is. I've only used it in OU and never considered it to go higher. But once I realized I desperately needed a Ground immunity, 4 options came to mind. Skarmory, Bronzong, Landorus, Gliscor. Landorus was a nice idea, but I really didn't want it. Bronzong was cool, and could do work. Skarmory was definitely worth considering, but then I remember the several times Skarmory didn't do well for me. Gliscor was left. I chose a pretty standard set for it since I seldom use it. Outspeed base 90 Speed pokes, check. EQ, check. Toxic, eh, let's try it. Protect of course. Taunt is my #1 non-attacking move for Gliscor, and it already served me the purpose of stopping clerics and Wish. Since it's immune to status entirely, Gliscor stops Chansey and Blissey entirely and also likes to Taunt Ferro or Skarmory a bit. Toxic was me wanting to spread it around, but honestly I'd prefer something else. Maybe Ice Fang. Maybe Substitute. Indecisiveness.

HououinKyoma (Dialga) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Outrage
- Rest
- Sleep Talk​

Awyeah. I wasn't gonna leave Dialga alone. I couldn't resist using it, after seeing it take many hits time and time again. I also learned rather recently that Dragon/Steel's apparently the best typing for a specially defensive Poke? Yes, please. But just what kind of Dialga do I use? There's so much to do. Well, first and only set I've successfully used Dialga with is the Bulk Up/Rest/Sleep Talk set. Outrage is extremely powerful. With Bulk Up, Dialga starts patching up the neglected (as in I did max Sp. Def) Defense stat and upping its physical power. Rest helps it last quite awhile. Sleep Talk lets the beast just keep on hitting (unless confusion decides to hit me). Now, while this set is beautiful in my eyes, I do recognize drawbacks when I see them, and am willing to try any other Dialga.

Conclusion​

While playing with this team, and just from looking at it, rain poses an immediate problem. I have two Pokemon who resist the common rain moves, but one doesn't appreciate the hits all of the time and the other can't pull all of the weight on its own. There's also the unbalanced offense, in that only 1 out of the 6 is specially oriented. As I said earlier, when I'm content with a team, even when I recognize weaknesses that can be fixed, I have problems choosing the corrections.

And now, I take input!

 

[Synthesis]

I don't play, nor have even tried Ubers ever, but I've seen a few videos. I'm not sure if I'll be able to help much, if at all.

Firstly, you could just go ahead with the standard and try Ttar over Hippo as a Sandstream user. It has decent Special Attack and a great movepool, which is often neglected. That would solve the only one Special Attacker problem, but it kinda removes your physical wall, so...

We move onto Gliscor. Gliscor is designed to be a beastly Physical wall, so why not use it as such? You said you were looking for some new moves, so you could try cut the Speed EVs, add some more Defense and slap on Rock Polish/Swords Dance/Sub Baton Pass combination. So much of your team benefits from that, so why not take advantage of it?

If you do decide to go with this and Rock Polish, you could make Chomp Banded and be pretty much unstoppable.

As for Rain, I'm so glad you used Gastrodon. Storm Drain, amazing typing, etc. If that set isn't working you could try a Stockpile set, or a ResTalk set if Toxic is a problem (which is what I find whenever I use Gastrodon). Or you could try Yawn on it to force out Kyogre before a sub. I'm guessing Kyogre don't usually run Grass Knot since this seems to be working.

I can't think of anything Ground/Steel to counter Kyogre with BoltBeam and boosted Hydro Pumps, unless you wanted a gimmicky one with Sturdy and Metal Burst xD

 

[Lohrak]

Tyranitar isn't Ground or Steel, so I can't use it. I like the team to stay Ground/Steel.

I did think of trying a CM Steel Arceus which utilizes Thunder, so it could give Kyogre its problems by using that. The Steel typing also prevents Toxic which is always a hindrance with special attackers. There's also Roar instead of Thunder to prevent CM Ogres from setting up.

As for Gliscor, I prefer it at the speed it's at now, as I've never been able to use Gliscor with any less speed.

I'd totally try that gimmick, sadly hazards disable that and I don't need a Poke to be weak to hazards (not many of my current members mind it except Toxic Spikes against Gastrodon and Hippowdon).

 

[Synthesis]

Only problem with Thunder on Arceus is it has 50% accuracy in Sand, which is pretty much unusable. Also, would you consider Ferrothorn as a Kyogre counter? I can't believe I forgot about it until now. Storm Drain Cradily could work too possibly, but Ferrothorn is definitely better.

If Toxic Spikes are a problem you could just add a Poison type, which would have to be one of the Nidos to remove them, or you could give Excadrill Rapid Spin.

Excluding Toxic Spikes, is Toxic as common in Ubers as it is elsewhere?

 

[Lohrak]

Toxic is common on rain stall, exactly what this team has trouble with. In general it's on like, one Pokemon.
Cradily doesn't fit either of my types.

Also, Thunder is 70% in Sand. Only Sun decreases it (I have to tell this to people a lot ._.).

I feel kind of dumb not thinking of Ferrothorn though. I'll try it a bit.

And Rapid Spin on Exca was there before, but I hardly ever found myself using it. The Bulky Excadrill set was the original and due to its lack of use, it was changed to a sweeper set. Toxic Spikes isn't generally a problem since the team is meant to hit hard, and not stall (although that's a pain when it comes to keeping weather up).