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Moves Stealth Rock gives Hippopotas entry hazards support, and damages Flying-types, which are immune to Earthquake. Whirlwind can phaze out anything that tries to set up on Hippopotas and racks up hazard damage. Yawn can be used instead of Whirlwind to force switches. It's more unreliable, but it can spread sleep and help bring in team members safely on predicted double switches or on sleeping Pokemon. Slack Off is reliable recovery and ensures that Hippopotas stays healthy thoughout the game. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types decently hard, but it should rarely be used, as Hippopotas has a low Attack stat. Toxic can be used as a more reliable way to damage the opposing team. Set Details Smooth Rock extends the turns of sand from five to eight, which in most situations is preferable over the extra bulk from Eviolite. Sand Stream is mandatory, as it is the only reason to use Hippopotas. Eviolite can be used over Smooth Rock to give Hippopotas better overall bulk. However, Eviolite forces Hippopotas to switch in more to keep up sand. Usage Tips Hippopotas is used for the support it gives its team, so it should be in as little as possible when sand is already up to avoid wasting sand turns. However, it can still set up Stealth Rock or take on weaker physical attackers if needed. Note that even with defensive investment Hippopotas is fairly frail, so avoid strong attackers and powerful moves. When switching Hippopotas in make sure it will survive the entry hazards damage as Sand Stream activates after hazards damage. Team Options Pokemon that work well with Hippopotas can take advantage of the sand it brings. Sand Rush users such as Stoutland and Sandslash are a must, as they become dangerous sweepers with boosted Speed under sand. Rock-types such as Cradily, Rhydon, and Carracosta get their Special Defense boosted by the sand, allowing them to more effectively do their jobs. Other options to consider are Pokemon with Sand Veil such as Cacturne that benefit from the evasion boost that sand gives it. Specially defensive Pokemon such as Mega Audino that can take common Grass- and Water-type moves aimed at Hippopotas can support it. A Pokemon with Sandstorm can be used to relieve the pressure on Hippopotas. While it is not mandatory as Hippopotas can function without it, Rapid Spin or Defog support helps it to switch in more times throughout a game.

Moves Stealth Rock is a standard entry hazard, which, when combined with the sand, can slowly wear down opposing Pokemon when they switch in. Slack Off provides reliable recovery in order to ensure that Hippopotas is kept at a reasonable amount of health so that it can come in to set up sand later on in the battle. Earthquake is the only attack that Hippopotas needs as it can wear down Pokemon such as Grumpig, Politoed, and Gabite. Whirlwind is used to prevent Pokemon from setting up on Hippopotas. Toxic is an option over Whirlwind if you don't find Pokemon trying to set up too much of an issue and would rather wear down bulky opponents such as Tangela and Misdreavus. Set Details Smooth Rock is the ideal item for Hippopotas because although it is built for taking hits, its main objective is to get up sand in order to support sweepers such as Stoutland, and the extra turns of sand can allow Stoutland to stay in longer rather than be forced to switch. An Impish nature and EVs in HP and Defense ensure that Hippopotas has got as much physical bulk as possible. Sand Stream's sand is used to support the team and to wear down opposing Pokemon to the point where sweepers such as Stoutland can perform a late-game sweep. Usage Tips Hippopotas isn't very useful on its own. It supports its team by getting up sand and then switching out in order to bring the sand back later on in the battle. Sacrificing Hippopotas near the end of a battle is fine if you're certain that last amount of sand is enough for a Pokemon to clean up. Hippopotas should only use support moves when necessary, such as when predicting a switch; switch out otherwise. Use Stealth Rock to cripple foes as they switch in; however, you should also try to outplay the opponent and double switch so as to not waste sand turns. Hippopotas can take special hits but only to a certain extent; play around the opposing team and be smart when bringing it in on certain Pokemon. Hippopotas should be switched out as soon as possible, as this allows you to get the maximum number of sand turns for your teammates. Earthquake should only be used to finish off weakened opponents and to hit frail Pokemon as they switch in. Whirlwind is used for threatening opponents that plan on setting up, and Slack Off is for when Hippopotas is low on HP and you need it to set up sand later in the battle. Keeping Hippopotas healthy is essential so that it can be brought in later on to take a hit and get sand up again. Team Options Having Stoutland as a teammate is pretty much mandatory, as without it there's little reason to set up sand. Additionally, offensive partners for Stoutland, such as Monferno and Floatzel, will generally be found on the same team as Hippopotas. Grass-type Pokemon such as Roselia resist Water- and Grass-type moves. Roselia can also hit Grass-types with Sludge Bomb and set up entry hazards such as Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Spinblockers such as Misdreavus can prevent your team's hazards from getting removed by Rapid Spin users. Water-type Pokemon such as Politoed can take Water- and Ice-type attacks and force foes to either switch out or take a hard hit. Audino is a great specially defensive partner, although it's difficult to fit on sand teams, which are normally more offensive. Audino also has access to Heal Bell and Wish, which can be used for supporting the whole team rather than just Hippopotas.

A Ground typing, solid Eviolite-boosted bulk, and reliable recovery shape Hippopotas into a good wall to take on physical attackers like Lairon, Mienfoo, Muk, Arbok, and Pawniard. Even stronger physical wallbreakers like Slaking, Choice Band Exploud, and Guts Luxray struggle to break through Hippopotas's bulk on their own. Stealth Rock is a mandatory move for every team, and Hippopotas is a great user of the move, finding opportunities against top-tier physical attackers like Lairon, Persian, and Muk. STAB Earthquake helps define Hippopotas's role as a counter to the Poison-types and Lairon, which are some of the most difficult Pokemon to check in the tier. Toxic is a catch-all move that synergizes well with STAB Earthquake and notably cripples Leafeon and Solrock, which could otherwise fully wall Hippopotas and threaten to set up or spread their own status effects. Rock Slide is a good alternative that 2HKOes Emolga and forces it to play mindgames versus Hippopotas's Earthquake when using Roost for recovery. Rock Slide helps Hippopotas remain offensive versus other Flying-types like Pelipper. Hippopotas's Sand Stream ability is not legal in ZU, so it uses Sand Force. Hippopotas best fits on bulkier teams looking to recruit a physically defensive backbone. The bulkier teams Hippopotas fits on can complement it with a specially defensive partner like Clefairy, Meganium, or Grumpig. Clefairy is an especially amazing partner for Hippopotas thanks to Magic Guard, great special bulk, and the freedom to use one of its many utility moves besides Stealth Rock. Clefairy appreciates Hippopotas beating one of Clefairy's best checks, Muk, and taking on other physical attackers like it. Choice Scarf Grumpig is a great check to special setup sweepers like Simisear that would threaten to break through Hippopotas. Frillish makes for an excellent partner for Hippopotas, blocking Staryu's Rapid Spin, defusing physical attackers with Scald or Will-O-Wisp, and taking on problematic Pokemon like Kingler and Clefairy for Hippopotas. In turn, Frillish appreciates Hippopotas taking the strain off checking Lairon, Arbok, and Muk. Leafeon and Meganium can alleviate status effects Hippopotas takes with Heal Bell and Aromatherapy respectively, while Ivysaur and Gloom are immune to Toxic; all of the aforementioned Grass-types take on problematic Water- and Grass-types for Hippopotas while appreciating its capacity to check Muk, Arbok, and Emolga for them. Staryu can absorb status effects for Hippopotas with Natural Cure. In exchange, Hippopotas takes pressure off of Staryu by checking physical attackers like Muk, Mienfoo, and Arbok for it, which can give it more opportunities to use Rapid Spin.

Hippopotas is notable only for the ability Sand Stream, which makes it the only Pokemon in UU play who can trigger a permanent sandstorm. This set attempts to make the most of Hippopotas's short lifespan by giving it the opportunity to status or scout the opponent's team as a lead. Hippopotas's primary goal, however, is to set up Stealth Rock, which should generally be made a priority over everything else. Yawn and Roar are both effective ways of scouting opponents, one of the few things Hippopotas does well. Protect can block Fake Out and trick U-turners into getting put to sleep when used in conjunction with Yawn. Meanwhile, Toxic allows Hippopotas to damage bulky Pokemon, while Earthquake is better versus fragile Pokemon and Taunt users. The EVs let Hippopotas survive a Fake Out and Return from Ambipom while allowing for maximum attack power should you opt to use Earthquake. The nature and Speed IV allow it to be slower than all Snover, so that sandstorm takes precedence over hail if the two leads are opposing each other. Hippopotas is the only Pokemon in the lower tiers who can set up a permanent sandstorm, which upgrades it from NFE to a bona fide player in the UU metagame. Although it at first may appear to be a miserable attempt at a lead, Hippopotas actually functions quite well in the role when taking into account its horrid stats. The goal of this set is to play to Hippopotas's strengths, which are essentially limited to setting up Stealth Rock and scouting. Focus Sash allows you to bypass Hippopotas's weak defenses and, against most leads, do both of these things. In some cases, Hippopotas will be forced to simply use Stealth Rock, then die on the next turn. Such instances will mostly occur against leads whom you cannot switch into for free, or if you feel the need to get Stealth Rock in play immediately. An example of this is when Hippopotas is facing Moltres, who can OHKO it with its special attacks and can U-turn out of Yawn. In other cases, however, its usefulness can extend beyond the first few moves of the game. If Hippopotas sets up Stealth Rock without being damaged, you have several options. When facing a bulky lead like Donphan or Uxie, Toxic is a good option, if you opt for it, to help shorten their longevity. If you wish to scout your opponent's team, Yawn, Roar, or a combination of the two can accomplish this. Yawn will cause most Pokemon to switch, and if they don't, they will be put to sleep. Using Yawn against Pokemon with U-turn should not be done unless you are carrying Protect with it, in which case it is a very sneaky method of putting Pokemon such as Uxie or Scyther to sleep. Because Yawn's effect activates on the second turn, you can use Roar on the subsequent move, which will allow you to scout not one, but two Pokemon, assuming your opponent decides to switch out the drowsy Pokemon. Another option is to simply switch out after using Stealth Rock, thus preserving Hippopotas's Focus Sash, provided your opponent has not set up any entry hazards. This can come in handy later in the game, as it allows Hippopotas to switch into Pokemon like Mismagius and Feraligatr while they are boosting their stats, take a hit and survive due to the Sash, and then phaze them with Yawn or Roar, whichever is most appropriate. Doing this makes Hippopotas a great last line of defense against boosting sweepers, especially those hiding behind Substitutes. As far as attacking options go, Hippopotas's outlook is pretty bleak. Earthquake is essentially its only viable option, as it desperately needs the STAB. For the most part, however, Hippopotas is too easily 2HKOed to spare many turns firing off relatively weak attacks. However, Earthquake does have its merits against weak Taunt leads, who will attempt to stop Hippopotas from setting up Stealth Rock. If you are more inclined to damage leads like Uxie and spread status in general, then Toxic may be the better option. In the last slot, Roar gives Hippopotas the ability to phaze pokemon with Substitute, as mentioned, which it cannot do with Yawn, and makes it a better overall phazer and scouter. Protect allows you to scout your opponent's moveset, trick U-turners into falling asleep, deal a free turn of sandstorm damage, and block Ambipom's Fake Out, which in turn lets you commit all your EVs to Attack if you wish to do so. Hippopotas's greatest fears are Taunt, Trick, and weather leads, and it may be in your best interest to switch out against all three. Taunt leads completely immobilize sets without Earthquake and stop those with Earthquake from setting up Stealth Rock. Even though they do nothing to prevent Stealth Rock, Trick leads are also troublesome because they can steal Hippopotas's Focus Sash and later Trick it to another one of your Pokemon, who will inevitably find it worthless. In addition, Hippopotas will likely be forced to switch and be used as death fodder later on. Opposing weather teams will give your entire team trouble, because although Hippopotas can switch in and negate their weather effect immediately, its terrible defenses only allow it to do this so many times throughout the course of a match. If the opposing lead uses Sunny Day or Rain Dance, Hippopotas should flee the scene before taking any damage so that its Focus Sash is still preserved. Good prediction will then be required to sneak Hippopotas in as many times as possible to negate repeated uses of weather-inducing moves. On a related note, Snover leads have the ability to be slower than Hippopotas and therefore override sandstorm with hail on the first turn. To avoid this, Hippopotas should run a -Speed nature with an IV of 13 to ensure it is slower.