Tentacool
Overview
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- With the poison buff this generation, Tentacool’s typing gives it a new niche in allowing it to check / counter fairies such as CM Swirlix.
- Aside from fairies, water / poison also gives it interesting resistances to abuse
- Very good special bulk, making it a good special tank / pivot.
- Fairly fast for a more defensively oriented mon.
- Knock Off + Rapid Spin give it two very good options to fulfill a niche on numerous teams.
- Berry Juice helps its cause by giving it extra longevity.
- Low physical bulk makes Tentacool a very shaky check to most physical Fire-types and Fighting-types such as Ponyta, Larvesta and Mienfoo.
- No form of recovery outside of Berry Juice.
Support
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name: Rapid Spinner
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Scald
move 4: Knock Off / Toxic Spikes
ability: Liquid Ooze
item: Berry Juice
evs: 196 HP / 76 Def / 196 SpD / 36 Spe
nature: Calm
Moves
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- Rapid Spin supports teammates by getting rid of hazards so threats such as Ledyba can wreak havoc with impunity.
- Sludge Bomb gives Tentacool a surprisingly strong STAB to throw around on top of nuking Fairy and Grass mons.
- Scald provides water STAB, combining with Sludge Wave to provide solid coverage, and comes with the always nifty chance to burn.
- With knock off being buffed to 65 base power this generation, and Little Cup mons being so reliant on items, knock off is a great move to spam to provide even more team support.
- Toxic Spikes can be used over Knock Off if TS support is deemed more important on a specific team.
Set Details
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- Berry Juice being released from banland this generation definitely helps Tentacool by bolstering its longevity, allowing it to take on the likes of CM Swirlix throughout a match.
- A Calm nature along with a specially defensive oriented EV spread gives Tentacool the best possible shot at tanking special attacks.
- 196 HP / 196 SpD give it an impressive 23 HP and 20 SpD.
- 76 Def EVs are thrown in to help Tentacool take physical hits somewhat better.
- Last 36 usable EVs are thrown onto speed, leaving Tenta at a respectable 14 speed.
- A Bold nature can be used along with switching the 196 SpD EVs to Def, but Tentacool’s special tanking prowess is much higher than it’s defensive tanking abilities.
- Liquid Ooze is the preferred ability because it can help turn the tables on Pokemon who use draining moves such as Leech Seed or Giga Drain in certain situations.
Usage Tips
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- Tentacool is pretty much the premier CM Swirlix counter, so with it being the threat it is in today’s metagame, Tentacool should be kept healthy until it needs to check it.
- While it has plenty of good resistances, the lack of consistent recovery and physical bulk means that Tentacool should be switched in with caution.
- That being said, Tentacool is best saved for mid game when you want to change the tide of the battle by getting rid of hazards or knocking off an opponent’s item.
- As mentioned before, Sludge Bomb is actually pretty powerful and Tentacool has pretty good coverage and speed, so don’t be afraid to try and do some damage to some slower teams.
Team Options
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- Pokemon that can take advantage of a clear field, such as Yanma, Ponyta, and Murkrow, work wonders alongside Tentacool.
- A good physical tank such as Slowpoke works well to take hits on Tentacool’s weak side and take on Fire-types and Fighting-types that Tentacool couldn’t hope to wall.
- To increase Tentacool’s longevity further, Wish support is also appreciated, especially from the likes of Spritzee because Tenta can switch in on the Steel, Poison, and Fire moves aimed at it.
- Chinchou can help keep Tentacool healthy with Heal Bell support.
- What pairs well with a knock offer? Every LC mon + more knock offers!
Other Options
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- As mentioned earlier, Toxic Spikes can be used over either Knock Off or Rapid Spin if a team is better supported by it.
- Tentacool has fair speed and access to Swords Dance, but physical sweeping is probably better left off for even faster and/or much more powerful pokemon such Gligar and Pawniard.
- Giga Drain is another option for an attacking move that lets Tentacool hit grasses pretty hard while recovering some HP.
- As for items, Berry Juice is optimal, but with Wish support Eviolite can be used if the added bulk is more beneficial.
- On any set, Sludge Bomb and Sludge Wave are pretty much interchangeable, depending on if a 5 BP increase is personally more valued than a higher poison chance, and vice versa.
Checks & Counters
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- Tesshido (takes both STABs, can hit with bullet seed)
- Chinchou (good bulk let's it switch in on tenta and hit back with tbolt / volt switch)
- Slowpoke (enough bulk to take hits, psychic)
- Croagunk (takes all of tenta's attacks well, just doesn't like knock off)
- Fast Grounds [Gligar, Diglett] (can't switch in, but easily outspeed and KO)
- Magnemite (tbolt .cry)
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