Tentacruel
[Overview]
<p>Tentacruel was a bit on the fence last generation in regard to viability in the Uber tier. This generation has been kinder, and it has gained a few things that make it quite useful and provide it with longevity. Rain Dish is a great boon, and it doubles Tentacruel's recovery per turn (assuming rain is up, of course). Tentacruel also boasts both Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin; two much sought after moves in the Uber tier. The jellyfish also has quite good synergy with both Giratina-O and Ferrothorn, who both can help Tentacruel in various ways. Unfortunately, Tentacruel has rather poor physical bulk, and will fall easy prey to Earthquake and the like. Although 12.5% recovery per turn is nothing to laugh at, Tentacruel still lacks the staying power Pokemon like Ferrothorn have against power houses, and the lack of significant recovery will usually catch up to it eventually. However, do not let these disadvantages deter you from thinking Tentacruel can be one annoying little jellyfish.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Scald
move 4: Protect / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Rain Dish
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As previously mentioned, Tentacruel is one of the few viable users of Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin in the Uber tier. Do not make the mistake of thinking this Pokemon is inferior to Forretress; Tentacruel has several qualities that let it hold its ground against the bagworm. First off, Tentacruel is quite bulky on the special side, and in comparison to Forretress's physical bulk, the former is more desirable in Ubers. Tentacruel has gained Scald this generation, which can burn any would be physical counter and make it useless (unless the opponent packs a cleric). Scald also has respectable power in the rain after a STAB boost. Tentacruel has also gained Rain Dish in the generation shift, which, in tandem with Leftovers, gives it 12.5% recovery per turn, which is nothing to scoff at. This jellyfish also has a surprising base 100 Speed, meaning it will often outspeed Pokemon like Groudon and Dialga who don't do much other than creep up a few EVs.</p>
<p>The first two moves are obvious; Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin give Tentacruel its niche. Scald is a good solid choice in the third slot, and can turn would-be counters into useless burned husks. However, if you wish, you can swap out Scald for one the of moves slashed in the fourth slot. The fourth slot is a bit trickier. Ice Beam allows you to put a respectable-sized dent in the Dragon-type Pokemon that run rampant in the Uber tier, and, more importantly, Giratina-O. Giratina-O can't do much to touch Tentacruel outside of packing the rare Earthquake, Outrage, or Thunder. The 32 Defense EVs provided prevent a max Attack Giratina-O with an Attack-boosting nature from OHKOing a full HP Tentacruel with Earthquake. Dragon Tail can annoy Tentacruel a bit, but it will quickly recover from minor hits with Rain Dish and Leftovers. Protect is also a decent choice, allowing Tentacruel to maximize its Rain Dish and Leftovers recovery; however, it can be risky. If you aren't careful, Protect can provide the opponent with free switches and turns to set up. Don't ignore this option though: it can allow Tentacruel to do impressive things like dodge the 2HKO from unboosted Thunder off 150 SpA (it maxes at 61.5% with the given EV spread). Protect also causes the opponent to take a bit more damage from poison; wasting a turn before you are forced to switch to a check.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Ferrothorn is an outstanding teammate for Tentacruel, as it resists its more commonly abused weakness, Electric. In turn, Tentacruel resists both of Ferrothorn's weaknesses. This can be quite easy to exploit, and Tentacruel will often find free recovery from Ferrothorn's Leech Seed. Both Ferrothorn and Tentacruel also fit quite nicely on defensively minded teams; Tentacruel can provide Rapid Spin support and Toxic Spikes while Ferrothorn walls a great number of threats and can provide Spike support. Kyogre is also a great partner to the two aforementioned Pokemon, as Ferrothorn enjoys its Fire-type weakness lessened in severity, while Tentacruel needs Kyogre to fuel Rain Dish. Giratina-O is also a great teammate for the jellyfish. Giratina-O resists all of Tentacruel's weaknesses bar Psychic, which only Mewtwo is commonly seen using. Giratina-O also blocks Rapid Spin and, in addition, resists or is immune to Ferrothorn's weaknesses as well! Tentacruel also has the added bonus of being able to absorb Toxic Spikes upon switching in - an ability that is quite useful to defensive teams. It also may be wise to pack Pokemon like Lugia or Chansey to take the powerful attacks that Tentacruel simply can't manage.</p>
<p>Knock off is a viable option on Tentacruel to annoy offensive and defensive Pokemon alike. Pokemon that use Leftovers will hate to see it gone, and succumb to Toxic Spikes even faster. However, it may be more beneficial to allow Choiced Pokemon to keep their items, since this makes them quite easy to predict around. Tentacruel's impressive Speed can also allow it to act as a "Suicide Toxic Spiker," so to speak. You can forgo the defensive approach and simply sacrifice Tentacruel to get a layer or two of Toxic Spikes and perhaps get a Rapid Spin in before Tentacruel goes down. You can also choose to invest a bit more in Defense, but Tentacruel has quite poor physical defense and it usually is a waste of its special walling potential. Haze deserves mention for its great utility, but it is illegal with Rapid Spin due to breeding restrictions. Finally, Venoshock deserves an honorable mention for reaching 195 BP and surpassing Scald in the rain if the opponent is poisoned -- very possible considering you will be using Toxic Spikes. This, however, isn't a very reliable STAB and Steel-types will be immune to it. You will also not be able to do much to Pokemon that are not affected by Toxic Spikes thanks to Levitate or a Flying sub-type as you can't poison them without outside help.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Magic Coat is an interesting option to reflect moves like Ferrothorn's Leech Seed and Darkrai's Dark Void, but it is a novelty at best. Liquid Ooze is also usable to annoy Ferrothorn, but its usefulness stops there, and Tentacruel will sorely miss Rain Dish. Confuse Ray can be used to annoy opponents, but it isn't very reliable. Icy Wind can slow down opponents, but Ice Beam is a far superior choice in almost every scenario. Giga Drain can be used to milk every last option of recovery Tentacruel has short of Rest, but it really isn't worth it and does rather poor damage. Finally, a Stallrein-esque set with Protect, Substitute, Toxic Spikes, and Scald in tandem with Rain Dish and Leftovers can be quite annoying, but, unfortunately, rain doesn't have the damaging quality that hail does, so it is a bit less effective. Still, it is not something to be taken lightly with Tentacruel's impressive Speed.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Groudon is Tentacruel's #1 enemy. It takes away the rain Tentacruel loves so much and can OHKO Tentacruel with Earthquake, even with 0 Atk EVs, unless you invest significantly in Defense. Groudon can also incinerate Tentacruel's most commonly used partner, Ferrothorn, with Fire Punch. It does have to watch out for burns though, and Toxic Spikes + repeated attacks will wear it down quickly. Tentacruel crumples to powerful attacks in general - it should be played as a tank, not a wall, lest you let its lack of a reliable recovery move catch up to it. Physical attackers in particular can easily wear Tentacruel down through its poor physical defenses of 80/65. From the special side, Palkia, Kyogre, and Dialga all receive special mention. Tentacruel really can't touch the former two no matter what attack it runs, although they must be careful of Toxic Spikes or they will quickly succumb to poison. Dialga, however, is immune to Toxic. All three of these Pokemon are commonly seen with Thunder, and although Tentacruel is not 2HKOed by a non-boosted Thunder, it certainly won't like taking one. Mewtwo can easily shatter Tentacruel with Psystrike, but once again Toxic Spikes and its usual Life Orb will wear it down quickly. Giratina-O can block Tentacruel's Rapid Spin and also pose a threat with Thunder or Earthquake, although neither can ever OHKO a full HP Tentacruel, and the former can even fail to 3HKO (although that requires near-minimum damage rolls every time). Giratina-O also will not like Ice Beam very much. Manaphy can set up on Tentacruel with ease and ignore Toxic Spikes with Hydration. Almost any Arceus with Refresh and a boosting move can easily set up on Tentacruel. Poison Arceus in particular can be a nuisance simply for the fact that you cannot see it on team preview and it can nullify the turns you spent setting up Toxic Spikes by simply switching in. Ground Arceus can also OHKO Tentacruel, but it cannot switch in easily for fear of Scald and a burn. Ho-Oh can't be burned and isn't even 2HKOed by Scald in the rain, and can threaten Tentacruel with powerful physical attacks. Zekrom is another physical that gives Tentacruel a run for its money with STAB Electric Attacks, which can OHKO with ease, but Zekrom won't appreciate a burn so it must be careful. Finally, Giratina can annoy Tentacruel with Will-O-Wisp and Dragon Tail, and later Rest off the poison inflicted by Toxic Spikes.</p>
[Overview]
<p>Tentacruel was a bit on the fence last generation in regard to viability in the Uber tier. This generation has been kinder, and it has gained a few things that make it quite useful and provide it with longevity. Rain Dish is a great boon, and it doubles Tentacruel's recovery per turn (assuming rain is up, of course). Tentacruel also boasts both Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin; two much sought after moves in the Uber tier. The jellyfish also has quite good synergy with both Giratina-O and Ferrothorn, who both can help Tentacruel in various ways. Unfortunately, Tentacruel has rather poor physical bulk, and will fall easy prey to Earthquake and the like. Although 12.5% recovery per turn is nothing to laugh at, Tentacruel still lacks the staying power Pokemon like Ferrothorn have against power houses, and the lack of significant recovery will usually catch up to it eventually. However, do not let these disadvantages deter you from thinking Tentacruel can be one annoying little jellyfish.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Scald
move 4: Protect / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Rain Dish
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As previously mentioned, Tentacruel is one of the few viable users of Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin in the Uber tier. Do not make the mistake of thinking this Pokemon is inferior to Forretress; Tentacruel has several qualities that let it hold its ground against the bagworm. First off, Tentacruel is quite bulky on the special side, and in comparison to Forretress's physical bulk, the former is more desirable in Ubers. Tentacruel has gained Scald this generation, which can burn any would be physical counter and make it useless (unless the opponent packs a cleric). Scald also has respectable power in the rain after a STAB boost. Tentacruel has also gained Rain Dish in the generation shift, which, in tandem with Leftovers, gives it 12.5% recovery per turn, which is nothing to scoff at. This jellyfish also has a surprising base 100 Speed, meaning it will often outspeed Pokemon like Groudon and Dialga who don't do much other than creep up a few EVs.</p>
<p>The first two moves are obvious; Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin give Tentacruel its niche. Scald is a good solid choice in the third slot, and can turn would-be counters into useless burned husks. However, if you wish, you can swap out Scald for one the of moves slashed in the fourth slot. The fourth slot is a bit trickier. Ice Beam allows you to put a respectable-sized dent in the Dragon-type Pokemon that run rampant in the Uber tier, and, more importantly, Giratina-O. Giratina-O can't do much to touch Tentacruel outside of packing the rare Earthquake, Outrage, or Thunder. The 32 Defense EVs provided prevent a max Attack Giratina-O with an Attack-boosting nature from OHKOing a full HP Tentacruel with Earthquake. Dragon Tail can annoy Tentacruel a bit, but it will quickly recover from minor hits with Rain Dish and Leftovers. Protect is also a decent choice, allowing Tentacruel to maximize its Rain Dish and Leftovers recovery; however, it can be risky. If you aren't careful, Protect can provide the opponent with free switches and turns to set up. Don't ignore this option though: it can allow Tentacruel to do impressive things like dodge the 2HKO from unboosted Thunder off 150 SpA (it maxes at 61.5% with the given EV spread). Protect also causes the opponent to take a bit more damage from poison; wasting a turn before you are forced to switch to a check.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Ferrothorn is an outstanding teammate for Tentacruel, as it resists its more commonly abused weakness, Electric. In turn, Tentacruel resists both of Ferrothorn's weaknesses. This can be quite easy to exploit, and Tentacruel will often find free recovery from Ferrothorn's Leech Seed. Both Ferrothorn and Tentacruel also fit quite nicely on defensively minded teams; Tentacruel can provide Rapid Spin support and Toxic Spikes while Ferrothorn walls a great number of threats and can provide Spike support. Kyogre is also a great partner to the two aforementioned Pokemon, as Ferrothorn enjoys its Fire-type weakness lessened in severity, while Tentacruel needs Kyogre to fuel Rain Dish. Giratina-O is also a great teammate for the jellyfish. Giratina-O resists all of Tentacruel's weaknesses bar Psychic, which only Mewtwo is commonly seen using. Giratina-O also blocks Rapid Spin and, in addition, resists or is immune to Ferrothorn's weaknesses as well! Tentacruel also has the added bonus of being able to absorb Toxic Spikes upon switching in - an ability that is quite useful to defensive teams. It also may be wise to pack Pokemon like Lugia or Chansey to take the powerful attacks that Tentacruel simply can't manage.</p>
<p>Knock off is a viable option on Tentacruel to annoy offensive and defensive Pokemon alike. Pokemon that use Leftovers will hate to see it gone, and succumb to Toxic Spikes even faster. However, it may be more beneficial to allow Choiced Pokemon to keep their items, since this makes them quite easy to predict around. Tentacruel's impressive Speed can also allow it to act as a "Suicide Toxic Spiker," so to speak. You can forgo the defensive approach and simply sacrifice Tentacruel to get a layer or two of Toxic Spikes and perhaps get a Rapid Spin in before Tentacruel goes down. You can also choose to invest a bit more in Defense, but Tentacruel has quite poor physical defense and it usually is a waste of its special walling potential. Haze deserves mention for its great utility, but it is illegal with Rapid Spin due to breeding restrictions. Finally, Venoshock deserves an honorable mention for reaching 195 BP and surpassing Scald in the rain if the opponent is poisoned -- very possible considering you will be using Toxic Spikes. This, however, isn't a very reliable STAB and Steel-types will be immune to it. You will also not be able to do much to Pokemon that are not affected by Toxic Spikes thanks to Levitate or a Flying sub-type as you can't poison them without outside help.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Magic Coat is an interesting option to reflect moves like Ferrothorn's Leech Seed and Darkrai's Dark Void, but it is a novelty at best. Liquid Ooze is also usable to annoy Ferrothorn, but its usefulness stops there, and Tentacruel will sorely miss Rain Dish. Confuse Ray can be used to annoy opponents, but it isn't very reliable. Icy Wind can slow down opponents, but Ice Beam is a far superior choice in almost every scenario. Giga Drain can be used to milk every last option of recovery Tentacruel has short of Rest, but it really isn't worth it and does rather poor damage. Finally, a Stallrein-esque set with Protect, Substitute, Toxic Spikes, and Scald in tandem with Rain Dish and Leftovers can be quite annoying, but, unfortunately, rain doesn't have the damaging quality that hail does, so it is a bit less effective. Still, it is not something to be taken lightly with Tentacruel's impressive Speed.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Groudon is Tentacruel's #1 enemy. It takes away the rain Tentacruel loves so much and can OHKO Tentacruel with Earthquake, even with 0 Atk EVs, unless you invest significantly in Defense. Groudon can also incinerate Tentacruel's most commonly used partner, Ferrothorn, with Fire Punch. It does have to watch out for burns though, and Toxic Spikes + repeated attacks will wear it down quickly. Tentacruel crumples to powerful attacks in general - it should be played as a tank, not a wall, lest you let its lack of a reliable recovery move catch up to it. Physical attackers in particular can easily wear Tentacruel down through its poor physical defenses of 80/65. From the special side, Palkia, Kyogre, and Dialga all receive special mention. Tentacruel really can't touch the former two no matter what attack it runs, although they must be careful of Toxic Spikes or they will quickly succumb to poison. Dialga, however, is immune to Toxic. All three of these Pokemon are commonly seen with Thunder, and although Tentacruel is not 2HKOed by a non-boosted Thunder, it certainly won't like taking one. Mewtwo can easily shatter Tentacruel with Psystrike, but once again Toxic Spikes and its usual Life Orb will wear it down quickly. Giratina-O can block Tentacruel's Rapid Spin and also pose a threat with Thunder or Earthquake, although neither can ever OHKO a full HP Tentacruel, and the former can even fail to 3HKO (although that requires near-minimum damage rolls every time). Giratina-O also will not like Ice Beam very much. Manaphy can set up on Tentacruel with ease and ignore Toxic Spikes with Hydration. Almost any Arceus with Refresh and a boosting move can easily set up on Tentacruel. Poison Arceus in particular can be a nuisance simply for the fact that you cannot see it on team preview and it can nullify the turns you spent setting up Toxic Spikes by simply switching in. Ground Arceus can also OHKO Tentacruel, but it cannot switch in easily for fear of Scald and a burn. Ho-Oh can't be burned and isn't even 2HKOed by Scald in the rain, and can threaten Tentacruel with powerful physical attacks. Zekrom is another physical that gives Tentacruel a run for its money with STAB Electric Attacks, which can OHKO with ease, but Zekrom won't appreciate a burn so it must be careful. Finally, Giratina can annoy Tentacruel with Will-O-Wisp and Dragon Tail, and later Rest off the poison inflicted by Toxic Spikes.</p>
overview
- above-average special bulk and speed
- one of the few viable Toxic Spikers and Rapid Spinners
- 12% recovery per turn in the rain
- good synergy with other Pokemon on defensive teams (tina-O, ferrothorn)
- Poor physical bulk
- Doesn't really have that much "walling" power
- Can be set up fodder at times
- A bit dependent on Rain and Groudon can OHKO with Earthquake
- One of the few viable users of Toxic Spikes in Ubers
- Can fill the dual role of a Rapid Spinner and Toxic Spiker, while also having great synergy with Ferrothorn, who can set up all hazards Tentacruel can't
- Decent special tank with 80/120 Defenses
- Mehish physical defense - don't expect it to do so well vs groudon
- Suprising Speed (base 100)
- Rain Dish + Leftovers gives it a respectable 12% recovery rate per turn, while its quite easy to switch into something with Ferrothorn, Leech Seed, then switch to Tentacruel as Tentacruel resists all of Ferrothorn's weaknesses.
- Protect can add survivability but it must be used sparingly as to not allow easy set up
- Ice Beam can prevent Rayquaza from setting up and take a healthy chunk out of Giratina-O (who can't really do much in return unless it has Earthquake), and other Dragon-types in general.
- Scald can pack a punch in the rain with STAB even off Tentacruel's lackluster base 80 Special Attack.
- 32 Def EVs ensure Giratina-O with max attack and a +Atk nature can never OHKO you with Earthquake if you are at full HP (not hard to do with Rain Dish + Leftovers + Protect)
- Haze can help Pokemon who think they can set up easily against Tentacruel
- Knock Off can be used to further annoy Pokemon, especially if you manage to rob them of their leftovers - making Toxic Spikes even more annoying
- Tentacruel works better on a more defensively minded team, but if you wish it can act as a "Suicide Toxic Spiker" with its above-average base 100 Speed
- Absorbs Toxic Spikes - quite useful for stall teams
- Near perfect synergy with Ferrothorn and they can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes together easily.
- Both of the previously mentioned Pokemon love Rain support so Kyogre can be quite useful - Kyogre is almost needed with Tentacruel to abuse the 12% per turn recovery
- Giratina-O has near-perfect synergy with Tentacruel (only not resisting Psychic, who basically only Mewtwo uses), and also blocks annoying Rapid Spin
- Giratina-O has near-perfect synergy with Ferrothorn too
- Bulkier walls like Chansey and Lugia can take powerful hits that Tentacruel just can't manage
- not even 2HKOed by Thunder off non-boosted base 150 Special Attack pokemon (max of 61.5% meaning it just escapes it with rain dish + lefties + protect, and when are they going to be using thunder out of rain...)
- Magic Coat for kicks against Ferrothorn / Forretress / Darkrai / etc.
- Liquid Ooze to annoy Ferrothorn - but it really needs Rain Dish and Power Whip still hurts like hell
- Confuse Ray
- Venoshock (has 195 BP after STAB if the target is poisoned, which is quite likely with Tspikes)
- Icy Wind
- Giga Drain
- Stallrein type set
- Groudon takes away the rain and can OHKO with Earthquake and Tentacruel can't do much except attempt to annoy him with a burn from Scald on the switch in. Scald does around 30% in the sun though, so it can be worn down from Tspikes and Scald overtime
- Tentacruel will fall to powerful attacks in general - although it can stand its ground against special attacks for a time, its lack of reliable recovery will usually catch up to it
- Physical attackers can usually do a number to Tentacruel's meager 80/65 defense, but they must watch out for Scald
- Tentacruel can't really touch Palkia or Kyogre and they can 2HKO with Thunder -- although they are annoyed by both burn and poison. Mono Attacker Kyogre can set up on Tentacruel all day
- Dialga can blast Tentacruel with Thunder too, and it isn't affected by Toxic Spikes.
- Mewtwo
- Giratina-O can foil Tentacruel's spinning attempts and Earthquake will hurt, but never OHKO from full HP (which is quite easy to accomplish with Rain Dish + Leftovers + Protect)
- Manaphy can set up on Tentacruel if it lacks haze, and even if it has Haze it can't really do anything back
- Arceus with Refresh and Calm Mind shrugs off anything Tentacruel can throw at it.
- Ho-Oh cant be burned and Scald doesn't even 2HKO in the rain
- Poison Arceus can nullify Tentacruel's work and you can't even see it on team preview
- Zekrom laughs and easily OHKOes it, but it must watch out for burn
- Ground Arceus OHKOes but, once again, Scald and Ice Beam do a number, and it hates burns.
- Giratina can rest off the poison and annoy Tentacruel with Will-O-Wisp and Dragon Tail
