-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
-
Congrats to the winners of the 2023 Smog Awards!
Octillery (Analysis) (Update) [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2] IM UNDER THE SEA YOUNG WILD AND FREE
- Thread starter Jukain
- Start date
Amateur GP check. Take whatever you think is useful from it. This looks good, and I don't think there's much left to do.
Additions in Blue
Subtractions in Red
Comments in Purple
The only other thing I'd say is that in the sentence in the second paragraph of other options "Substitute would ease prediction, but is contradictory to Water Spout" the expression 'is contradictory to' looked a little weird to me. I didn't want to put that in the main part of my check though, because I think there's a good chance it's just a way of using the word I haven't seen before, and it's likely perfectly fine.
Additions in Blue
Subtractions in Red
Comments in Purple
[Overview]
<p>The oceans roar and the waves crash down; yet surprisingly the cause is a seemingly weak octopus. Octillery is no weakling, however, boasting impressive base 105 offensive stats and a movepool that includes the elusive Water Spout, complemented by a plethora of coverage moves such as Energy Ball, Ice Beam, and Fire Blast. One might be wondering why all of these positive attributes are on a Pokemon that resides deep in the trenches of NU. Unfortunately for Octillery, its Speed is abysmal and its defenses equally horrific, leaving it with few opportunities to switch in and allowing it to easily be revenge killed by faster Pokemon. Despite these disadvantages, smart play and the right support permit Octillery to showcase its jaw-dropping power and take its place among the titans of the sea.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Surf
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast
item: Choice Specs / Mystic Water
ability: Sniper
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Octillery is the strongest user of the coveted Water Spout outside of Ubers. Usually, the modus operandi to get Octillery in safely is to sacrifice a Pokemon and buy Octillery an opportunity to switch in or to bring it in on a support move such as Stealth Rock or Encore. From there, this eight-tentacled fiend usually drops its nuclear Water Spout, occasionally using a coverage move if a Water resistant switch-in is predicted. Surf is chosen for the second slot as an alternate Water-type STAB, being stronger than Water Spout once Octillery drops below 63% HP. The last two moves are primarily used to provide coverage against Pokemon that resist Octillery's STAB. Energy Ball is key, hitting other Water-type Pokemon such as Samurott and Alomomola for super effective damage. The last moveslot is mainly governed by personal preference, as both moves hit Grass-types such as Amoonguss super effectively, with Ice Beam checking most Dragon-types and Fire Blast being super effective against Steel-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs are the golden standard for special attackers, with maximum investment in Speed to be as fast as is possible for our slow octopus friend and the same in Special Attack for highest possible damage output. As far as items are concerned, both are quite useful, with Choice Specs granting far more power but Mystic Water allowing Octillery to bluff a choice item, (remove comma) and gives giving the benefit of being able to switch moves, while still boosting the power of Octillery's STAB, albeit not as much as Choice Specs. Lum Berry is also an option to deter paralysis and sleep attempts from walls such as Amoonguss. While Sniper is usually the preferred ability, Suction Cups can be an excellent choice as it prevents phazing, which is invaluable if one is Baton Passing Octillery stat boosts. Suction Cups Octillery is one of the very few Baton Pass recipients that cannot be phazed, giving it a solid niche, and it appreciates the boosts to its abysmal Speed and its Special Attack that is skyrocketed to devastating levels. Partners such as Ninjask, Agility + Baton Pass Sawsbuck, Volbeat, and Mr. Mime are required in such cases to supply boosts to Octillery, making it a near-unstoppable killing machine.</p>
<p>The main form of support that should be added to any team containing Octillery is Rapid Spin, as the power of Water Spout is dependent on Octillery's HP percentage; Armaldo and Shell Smash Torkoal are the best and only choices unless one counts inferior NFE (among the shitty NU spinners that should never be used there are a couple godawful fully evolved ones, and removing NFE still gets your point that Wartortle sucks across, which really can never be said enough) Pokemon such as Wartortle. Cleric support is helpful, as Octillery despises all forms of status. Altaria, Musharna, Lickilicky, Miltank, and Vileplume are viable choices for this role. Physical attackers such as Sawk, Absol, Braviary, Golurk, and Emboar can tear through the special walls that trouble Octillery. Overall, Octillery does not need heavy support, but the support it needs is vital to its success.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Surf
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast
item: Expert Belt / Mystic Water
ability: Sniper
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Octillery's mediocre Speed stat is a burden under normal conditions, under Trick Room it is one of the fastest Pokemon in NU. Switching Octillery in under Trick Room is easy. Generally, as with all Trick Room sweepers, the way to go is to have a teammate set up Trick Room and then bring in Octillery safely, then proceeding to wreak havoc on the opposing team. The all-powerful Water Spout finds its place on this set, with Octillery being able to pull off the nuke with ease under Trick Room. Energy Ball is used to hit opposing Water-types, and the last slot is a choice between the perfect accuracy and Dragon coverage offered by Ice Beam and the power that comes inherent in Fire Blast; it depends on what Octillery's teammates can handle. Although Trick Room requires careful play, especially on a frail Pokemon like Octillery, the rewards are incomparable if pulled off correctly.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs optimize Octillery for Trick Room, with maximum investment in HP and Special Attack to increase survivability and maximize Octillery's power. A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs make Octillery as fast as possible in Trick Room. The choice of item is largely irrelevant and does not affect Octillery very much, but the positive attributes of each item should be noted; Expert Belt causes Octillery's coverage moves to inflict more damage to their generally bulky targets that take super effective damage from them, while Mystic Water increases the power of Octillery's STAB; it is all up to personal preference (I feel like you already said this above when you mentioned that the choice of item doesn't affect Octillery very much; if you believe it helps the point you're making however, it's your call).</p>
<p>As this set is created for Trick Room, support to set it up is required. Musharna is the best choice, but there are many others options such as Beheeyem, Banette, Duosion, Audino, and Exeggutor, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Rapid Spin support is key because entry hazards weaken the power of Water Spout, with Armaldo and Torkoal being the only viable choices outside of inferior NFEs Pokemon such as Wartortle. Marowak is an excellent offensive partner because the two beasts of Trick Room break down each others' checks and counters, while also boasting decent type synergy. Lastly, a late-game cleaner such as Zangoose or Absol is recommended to take out the trash after Octillery's aquatic rampage has ended.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Octillery's strange combination of traits and moves gives it a plethora of other options to choose from. A Choice Scarf could be used in order to patch up Octillery's low Speed stat, but its power is greatly reduced and it only outspeeds up to max Speed base 100s, meaning it's not worth the inability to switch moves. Psychic is super effective on Fighting-types, dealing slightly more damage to Gurdurr and Sawk than Surf, but the difference is negligible and Psychic doesn't provide any additional coverage. Scald is another STAB option, boasting a useful burn chance, but the drop in power from Surf is significant enough for it to be an inferior choice.</p>
<p>A set composed of Thunder Wave and 3 attacks could be used in an attempt to mitigate Octillery's Speed issues, though Octillery's mediocre defenses will often be a letdown. Toxic can be utilized to cripple walls, but generally straight-up attacking is the better course of action. Haze could have some potential use to shut down the troublesome Calm Mind Musharna, but Octillery is way too frail to abuse it properly. Another useful option is Flamethrower, a 100% accurate but weaker alternative to Fire Blast. Acid Spray can be used to wreak havoc on walls such as Lickilicky by lowering their Special Defense stat. Signal Beam has the sole purpose of hitting Ludicolo super effectively. Icy Wind might allow Octillery to outspeed a switch-in. Substitute would ease prediction, but it is contradictory to Water Spout. Lastly, Octillery's solid Attack stat can be abused with physical moves such as Waterfall, Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, Return, and Flail, but the lack of coverage on and Grass-types makes special variants more effective. To essentially sum this section up, Octillery has a large movepool, but few options are actually all that useful and one would usually do best to stick to the moves listed on the main sets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Generally, beating Octillery is not difficult thanks to its mediocre defenses and terrible Speed. Ludicolo is a perfect counter, boasting a 4x resistance to Water Spout and taking little damage from any of Octillery's other attacks. Paralysis is a major issue, as one full paralysis means a dead Octillery. Amoonguss, and Water Absorb Cacturne, Lapras, Seismitoad, and Mantine make ideal switch-ins to Octillery's frighteningly powerful STAB Water-type attacks. Altaria walls it and can set up on any Octillery lacking Ice Beam. Calm Mind Musharna can boost its Special Defense to a point where Octillery cannot break through, and Gardevoir is in a similar boat. Miltank and Lickilicky are adequate checks and have numerous ways of forcing misery upon Octillery. Regice and Muk can take pretty much any attack that Octillery might throw at them with great ease. Otherwise, anything that can take a full health Water Spout or set up entry hazards, particularly when combined with a sturdy spinblocker, is troublesome to for Octillery.</p>
<p>The oceans roar and the waves crash down; yet surprisingly the cause is a seemingly weak octopus. Octillery is no weakling, however, boasting impressive base 105 offensive stats and a movepool that includes the elusive Water Spout, complemented by a plethora of coverage moves such as Energy Ball, Ice Beam, and Fire Blast. One might be wondering why all of these positive attributes are on a Pokemon that resides deep in the trenches of NU. Unfortunately for Octillery, its Speed is abysmal and its defenses equally horrific, leaving it with few opportunities to switch in and allowing it to easily be revenge killed by faster Pokemon. Despite these disadvantages, smart play and the right support permit Octillery to showcase its jaw-dropping power and take its place among the titans of the sea.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Surf
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast
item: Choice Specs / Mystic Water
ability: Sniper
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Octillery is the strongest user of the coveted Water Spout outside of Ubers. Usually, the modus operandi to get Octillery in safely is to sacrifice a Pokemon and buy Octillery an opportunity to switch in or to bring it in on a support move such as Stealth Rock or Encore. From there, this eight-tentacled fiend usually drops its nuclear Water Spout, occasionally using a coverage move if a Water resistant switch-in is predicted. Surf is chosen for the second slot as an alternate Water-type STAB, being stronger than Water Spout once Octillery drops below 63% HP. The last two moves are primarily used to provide coverage against Pokemon that resist Octillery's STAB. Energy Ball is key, hitting other Water-type Pokemon such as Samurott and Alomomola for super effective damage. The last moveslot is mainly governed by personal preference, as both moves hit Grass-types such as Amoonguss super effectively, with Ice Beam checking most Dragon-types and Fire Blast being super effective against Steel-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs are the golden standard for special attackers, with maximum investment in Speed to be as fast as is possible for our slow octopus friend and the same in Special Attack for highest possible damage output. As far as items are concerned, both are quite useful, with Choice Specs granting far more power but Mystic Water allowing Octillery to bluff a choice item, (remove comma) and gives giving the benefit of being able to switch moves, while still boosting the power of Octillery's STAB, albeit not as much as Choice Specs. Lum Berry is also an option to deter paralysis and sleep attempts from walls such as Amoonguss. While Sniper is usually the preferred ability, Suction Cups can be an excellent choice as it prevents phazing, which is invaluable if one is Baton Passing Octillery stat boosts. Suction Cups Octillery is one of the very few Baton Pass recipients that cannot be phazed, giving it a solid niche, and it appreciates the boosts to its abysmal Speed and its Special Attack that is skyrocketed to devastating levels. Partners such as Ninjask, Agility + Baton Pass Sawsbuck, Volbeat, and Mr. Mime are required in such cases to supply boosts to Octillery, making it a near-unstoppable killing machine.</p>
<p>The main form of support that should be added to any team containing Octillery is Rapid Spin, as the power of Water Spout is dependent on Octillery's HP percentage; Armaldo and Shell Smash Torkoal are the best and only choices unless one counts inferior NFE (among the shitty NU spinners that should never be used there are a couple godawful fully evolved ones, and removing NFE still gets your point that Wartortle sucks across, which really can never be said enough) Pokemon such as Wartortle. Cleric support is helpful, as Octillery despises all forms of status. Altaria, Musharna, Lickilicky, Miltank, and Vileplume are viable choices for this role. Physical attackers such as Sawk, Absol, Braviary, Golurk, and Emboar can tear through the special walls that trouble Octillery. Overall, Octillery does not need heavy support, but the support it needs is vital to its success.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Surf
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast
item: Expert Belt / Mystic Water
ability: Sniper
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Octillery's mediocre Speed stat is a burden under normal conditions, under Trick Room it is one of the fastest Pokemon in NU. Switching Octillery in under Trick Room is easy. Generally, as with all Trick Room sweepers, the way to go is to have a teammate set up Trick Room and then bring in Octillery safely, then proceeding to wreak havoc on the opposing team. The all-powerful Water Spout finds its place on this set, with Octillery being able to pull off the nuke with ease under Trick Room. Energy Ball is used to hit opposing Water-types, and the last slot is a choice between the perfect accuracy and Dragon coverage offered by Ice Beam and the power that comes inherent in Fire Blast; it depends on what Octillery's teammates can handle. Although Trick Room requires careful play, especially on a frail Pokemon like Octillery, the rewards are incomparable if pulled off correctly.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs optimize Octillery for Trick Room, with maximum investment in HP and Special Attack to increase survivability and maximize Octillery's power. A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs make Octillery as fast as possible in Trick Room. The choice of item is largely irrelevant and does not affect Octillery very much, but the positive attributes of each item should be noted; Expert Belt causes Octillery's coverage moves to inflict more damage to their generally bulky targets that take super effective damage from them, while Mystic Water increases the power of Octillery's STAB; it is all up to personal preference (I feel like you already said this above when you mentioned that the choice of item doesn't affect Octillery very much; if you believe it helps the point you're making however, it's your call).</p>
<p>As this set is created for Trick Room, support to set it up is required. Musharna is the best choice, but there are many others options such as Beheeyem, Banette, Duosion, Audino, and Exeggutor, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Rapid Spin support is key because entry hazards weaken the power of Water Spout, with Armaldo and Torkoal being the only viable choices outside of inferior NFEs Pokemon such as Wartortle. Marowak is an excellent offensive partner because the two beasts of Trick Room break down each others' checks and counters, while also boasting decent type synergy. Lastly, a late-game cleaner such as Zangoose or Absol is recommended to take out the trash after Octillery's aquatic rampage has ended.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Octillery's strange combination of traits and moves gives it a plethora of other options to choose from. A Choice Scarf could be used in order to patch up Octillery's low Speed stat, but its power is greatly reduced and it only outspeeds up to max Speed base 100s, meaning it's not worth the inability to switch moves. Psychic is super effective on Fighting-types, dealing slightly more damage to Gurdurr and Sawk than Surf, but the difference is negligible and Psychic doesn't provide any additional coverage. Scald is another STAB option, boasting a useful burn chance, but the drop in power from Surf is significant enough for it to be an inferior choice.</p>
<p>A set composed of Thunder Wave and 3 attacks could be used in an attempt to mitigate Octillery's Speed issues, though Octillery's mediocre defenses will often be a letdown. Toxic can be utilized to cripple walls, but generally straight-up attacking is the better course of action. Haze could have some potential use to shut down the troublesome Calm Mind Musharna, but Octillery is way too frail to abuse it properly. Another useful option is Flamethrower, a 100% accurate but weaker alternative to Fire Blast. Acid Spray can be used to wreak havoc on walls such as Lickilicky by lowering their Special Defense stat. Signal Beam has the sole purpose of hitting Ludicolo super effectively. Icy Wind might allow Octillery to outspeed a switch-in. Substitute would ease prediction, but it is contradictory to Water Spout. Lastly, Octillery's solid Attack stat can be abused with physical moves such as Waterfall, Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, Return, and Flail, but the lack of coverage on and Grass-types makes special variants more effective. To essentially sum this section up, Octillery has a large movepool, but few options are actually all that useful and one would usually do best to stick to the moves listed on the main sets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Generally, beating Octillery is not difficult thanks to its mediocre defenses and terrible Speed. Ludicolo is a perfect counter, boasting a 4x resistance to Water Spout and taking little damage from any of Octillery's other attacks. Paralysis is a major issue, as one full paralysis means a dead Octillery. Amoonguss, and Water Absorb Cacturne, Lapras, Seismitoad, and Mantine make ideal switch-ins to Octillery's frighteningly powerful STAB Water-type attacks. Altaria walls it and can set up on any Octillery lacking Ice Beam. Calm Mind Musharna can boost its Special Defense to a point where Octillery cannot break through, and Gardevoir is in a similar boat. Miltank and Lickilicky are adequate checks and have numerous ways of forcing misery upon Octillery. Regice and Muk can take pretty much any attack that Octillery might throw at them with great ease. Otherwise, anything that can take a full health Water Spout or set up entry hazards, particularly when combined with a sturdy spinblocker, is troublesome to for Octillery.</p>
The only other thing I'd say is that in the sentence in the second paragraph of other options "Substitute would ease prediction, but is contradictory to Water Spout" the expression 'is contradictory to' looked a little weird to me. I didn't want to put that in the main part of my check though, because I think there's a good chance it's just a way of using the word I haven't seen before, and it's likely perfectly fine.
add
remove
comments
[gp]2/2[/gp]
remove
comments
[Overview]
<p>The oceans roar and the waves crash down; yet surprisingly the cause is a seemingly weak octopus. Octillery is no weakling, however, boasting impressive base 105 offensive stats and a movepool that includes the elusive Water Spout, complemented by a plethora of coverage moves such as Energy Ball, Ice Beam, and Fire Blast. One might be wondering why all of these positive attributes are on a Pokemon that resides deep in the trenches of NU. Unfortunately for Octillery, its Speed is abysmal and its defenses equally horrific, leaving it with few opportunities to switch in and allowing it to easily be revenge killed by faster Pokemon. Despite these disadvantages, smart play and the right support permit Octillery to showcase its jaw-dropping power and take its place among the titans of the sea.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Surf
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast
item: Choice Specs / Mystic Water
ability: Sniper
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Octillery is the strongest user of the coveted Water Spout outside of Ubers. Usually, the modus operandi to get Octillery in safely is to sacrifice a Pokemon and buy Octillery an opportunity to switch in or to bring it in on a support move such as Stealth Rock or Encore. From there, this eight-tentacled fiend usually drops its nuclear Water Spout, occasionally using a coverage move if a Water resistant switch-in is predicted. Surf is chosen for the second slot as an alternate Water-type STAB, being stronger than Water Spout once Octillery drops below 63% HP. The last two moves are primarily used to provide coverage against Pokemon that resist Octillery's STAB. Energy Ball is key, hitting other Water-type Pokemon, such as Samurott and Alomomola, for super effective damage. The last moveslot is mainly governed by personal preference, as both moves hit Grass-types such as Amoonguss super effectively, with Ice Beam checking most Dragon-types and Fire Blast being super effective against Steel-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs are the golden standard for special attackers, with maximum investment in Speed to be as fast as is possible for our slow octopus friend and the same in Special Attack for highest possible damage output. As far as items are concerned, both are quite useful, with Choice Specs granting far more power but Mystic Water allowing Octillery to bluff a Choice item and giving the benefit of being able to switch moves, while still boosting the power of Octillery's STAB, albeit not as much as Choice Specs. Lum Berry is also an option to deter paralysis and sleep attempts from walls such as Amoonguss. While Sniper is usually the preferred ability, Suction Cups can be an excellent choice as it prevents phazing, which is invaluable if one is Baton Passing Octillery stat boosts. Suction Cups Octillery is one of the very few Baton Pass recipients that cannot be phazed, giving it a solid niche, and it appreciates the boosts to its abysmal Speed and its Special Attack that is skyrocketed to devastating levels. Partners such as Ninjask, Agility + Baton Pass Sawsbuck, Volbeat, and Mr. Mime are required in such cases to supply boosts to Octillery, making it a near-unstoppable killing machine.</p>
<p>The main form of support that should be added to any team containing Octillery is Rapid Spin, as the power of Water Spout is dependent on Octillery's HP percentage; Armaldo and Shell Smash Torkoal are the best and only choices unless one counts inferior Pokemon such as Wartortle. Cleric support is helpful, as Octillery despises all forms of status. Altaria, Musharna, Lickilicky, Miltank, and Vileplume are viable choices for this role. Physical attackers like Sawk, Absol, Braviary, Golurk, and Emboar can tear through the special walls that trouble Octillery. Overall, Octillery does not need heavy support, but the support it needs is vital to its success.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Surf
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast
item: Expert Belt / Mystic Water
ability: Sniper
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Octillery's mediocre Speed stat is a burden under normal conditions, under Trick Room it is one of the fastest Pokemon in NU. Switching Octillery in under Trick Room is easy. Generally, as with all Trick Room sweepers, the way to go is to have a teammate set up Trick Room and then bring in Octillery safely to wreak havoc on the opposing team. The all-powerful Water Spout finds its place on this set, with Octillery being able to pull off the nuke with ease under Trick Room. Energy Ball is used to hit opposing Water-types, and the last slot is a choice between the perfect accuracy and Dragon coverage offered by Ice Beam and the power that comes inherent in Fire Blast; it depends on what Octillery's teammates can handle. Although Trick Room requires careful play, especially on a frail Pokemon like Octillery, the rewards are incomparable if pulled off correctly.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs optimize Octillery for Trick Room, with maximum investment in HP and Special Attack to increase survivability and maximize Octillery's power. A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs make Octillery as fast as possible in Trick Room. The choice of item is largely irrelevant and does not affect Octillery very much, but the positive attributes of each item should be noted; Expert Belt causes Octillery's coverage moves to inflict more damage to their generally bulky targets that take super effective damage from them, while Mystic Water increases the power of Octillery's STAB.</p>
<p>As this set is created for Trick Room, support to set it up is required. Musharna is the best choice, but there are many other options such as Beheeyem, Banette, Duosion, Audino, and Exeggutor, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Rapid Spin support is key because entry hazards weaken the power of Water Spout, with Armaldo and Torkoal being the only viable choices outside of inferior Pokemon such as Wartortle. Marowak is an excellent offensive partner because the two beasts of Trick Room break down each others' checks and counters, while also boasting decent type synergy. Lastly, a late-game cleaner, such as Zangoose or Absol, is recommended to take out the trash after Octillery's aquatic rampage has ended.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Octillery's strange combination of traits and moves gives it a plethora of other options to choose from. A Choice Scarf could be used in order to patch up Octillery's low Speed stat, but its power is greatly reduced and it only outspeeds up to max Speed base 100s, meaning it's not worth the inability to switch moves. Psychic gives super effective on Fighting-types, dealing slightly more damage to Gurdurr and Sawk than Surf, but the difference is negligible and Psychic doesn't provide any additional coverage. Scald is another STAB option, boasting a useful burn chance, but the drop in power from Surf is significant enough for it to be an inferior choice.</p>
<p>A set composed of Thunder Wave and 3 attacks could be used in an attempt to mitigate Octillery's Speed issues, though Octillery's mediocre defenses will often be a letdown. Toxic can be utilized to cripple walls, but generally straight-up attacking is the better course of action. Haze could have some potential use to shut down the troublesome Calm Mind Musharna, but Octillery is way too frail to abuse it properly. Another useful option is Flamethrower, a 100% accurate but weaker alternative to Fire Blast. Acid Spray can be used to wreak havoc on walls like Lickilicky by lowering their Special Defense stat. Signal Beam has the sole purpose of hitting Ludicolo super effectively. Icy Wind might allow Octillery to outspeed a switch-in. Substitute would ease prediction, but it is contradictory to Water Spout. Lastly, Octillery's solid Attack stat can be abused with physical moves such as Waterfall, Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, Return, and Flail, but the lack of coverage on Grass-types makes special variants more effective. To essentially sum this section up, Octillery has a large movepool, but few options are actually all that useful and one would usually do best to stick to the moves listed on the main sets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Generally, beating Octillery is not difficult thanks to its mediocre defenses and terrible Speed. Ludicolo is a perfect counter, boasting a 4x resistance to Water Spout and taking little damage from any of Octillery's other attacks. Paralysis is a major issue, as one full paralysis means a dead Octillery. Amoonguss, Water Absorb Cacturne, Lapras, Seismitoad, and Mantine make ideal switch-ins to Octillery's frighteningly powerful STAB Water-type attacks. Altaria walls it and can set up on any Octillery lacking Ice Beam. Calm Mind Musharna can boost its Special Defense to a point where Octillery cannot break through, and Gardevoir is in a similar boat. Miltank and Lickilicky are adequate checks and have numerous ways of forcing misery upon Octillery. Regice and Muk can take pretty much any attack that Octillery might throw at them with great ease. Otherwise, anything that can take a full health Water Spout or set up entry hazards, particularly when combined with a sturdy spinblocker, is troublesome for Octillery.</p>
<p>The oceans roar and the waves crash down; yet surprisingly the cause is a seemingly weak octopus. Octillery is no weakling, however, boasting impressive base 105 offensive stats and a movepool that includes the elusive Water Spout, complemented by a plethora of coverage moves such as Energy Ball, Ice Beam, and Fire Blast. One might be wondering why all of these positive attributes are on a Pokemon that resides deep in the trenches of NU. Unfortunately for Octillery, its Speed is abysmal and its defenses equally horrific, leaving it with few opportunities to switch in and allowing it to easily be revenge killed by faster Pokemon. Despite these disadvantages, smart play and the right support permit Octillery to showcase its jaw-dropping power and take its place among the titans of the sea.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Surf
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast
item: Choice Specs / Mystic Water
ability: Sniper
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Octillery is the strongest user of the coveted Water Spout outside of Ubers. Usually, the modus operandi to get Octillery in safely is to sacrifice a Pokemon and buy Octillery an opportunity to switch in or to bring it in on a support move such as Stealth Rock or Encore. From there, this eight-tentacled fiend usually drops its nuclear Water Spout, occasionally using a coverage move if a Water resistant switch-in is predicted. Surf is chosen for the second slot as an alternate Water-type STAB, being stronger than Water Spout once Octillery drops below 63% HP. The last two moves are primarily used to provide coverage against Pokemon that resist Octillery's STAB. Energy Ball is key, hitting other Water-type Pokemon, such as Samurott and Alomomola, for super effective damage. The last moveslot is mainly governed by personal preference, as both moves hit Grass-types such as Amoonguss super effectively, with Ice Beam checking most Dragon-types and Fire Blast being super effective against Steel-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs are the golden standard for special attackers, with maximum investment in Speed to be as fast as is possible for our slow octopus friend and the same in Special Attack for highest possible damage output. As far as items are concerned, both are quite useful, with Choice Specs granting far more power but Mystic Water allowing Octillery to bluff a Choice item and giving the benefit of being able to switch moves, while still boosting the power of Octillery's STAB, albeit not as much as Choice Specs. Lum Berry is also an option to deter paralysis and sleep attempts from walls such as Amoonguss. While Sniper is usually the preferred ability, Suction Cups can be an excellent choice as it prevents phazing, which is invaluable if one is Baton Passing Octillery stat boosts. Suction Cups Octillery is one of the very few Baton Pass recipients that cannot be phazed, giving it a solid niche, and it appreciates the boosts to its abysmal Speed and its Special Attack that is skyrocketed to devastating levels. Partners such as Ninjask, Agility + Baton Pass Sawsbuck, Volbeat, and Mr. Mime are required in such cases to supply boosts to Octillery, making it a near-unstoppable killing machine.</p>
<p>The main form of support that should be added to any team containing Octillery is Rapid Spin, as the power of Water Spout is dependent on Octillery's HP percentage; Armaldo and Shell Smash Torkoal are the best and only choices unless one counts inferior Pokemon such as Wartortle. Cleric support is helpful, as Octillery despises all forms of status. Altaria, Musharna, Lickilicky, Miltank, and Vileplume are viable choices for this role. Physical attackers like Sawk, Absol, Braviary, Golurk, and Emboar can tear through the special walls that trouble Octillery. Overall, Octillery does not need heavy support, but the support it needs is vital to its success.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Surf
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast
item: Expert Belt / Mystic Water
ability: Sniper
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Octillery's mediocre Speed stat is a burden under normal conditions, under Trick Room it is one of the fastest Pokemon in NU. Switching Octillery in under Trick Room is easy. Generally, as with all Trick Room sweepers, the way to go is to have a teammate set up Trick Room and then bring in Octillery safely to wreak havoc on the opposing team. The all-powerful Water Spout finds its place on this set, with Octillery being able to pull off the nuke with ease under Trick Room. Energy Ball is used to hit opposing Water-types, and the last slot is a choice between the perfect accuracy and Dragon coverage offered by Ice Beam and the power that comes inherent in Fire Blast; it depends on what Octillery's teammates can handle. Although Trick Room requires careful play, especially on a frail Pokemon like Octillery, the rewards are incomparable if pulled off correctly.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs optimize Octillery for Trick Room, with maximum investment in HP and Special Attack to increase survivability and maximize Octillery's power. A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs make Octillery as fast as possible in Trick Room. The choice of item is largely irrelevant and does not affect Octillery very much, but the positive attributes of each item should be noted; Expert Belt causes Octillery's coverage moves to inflict more damage to their generally bulky targets that take super effective damage from them, while Mystic Water increases the power of Octillery's STAB.</p>
<p>As this set is created for Trick Room, support to set it up is required. Musharna is the best choice, but there are many other options such as Beheeyem, Banette, Duosion, Audino, and Exeggutor, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Rapid Spin support is key because entry hazards weaken the power of Water Spout, with Armaldo and Torkoal being the only viable choices outside of inferior Pokemon such as Wartortle. Marowak is an excellent offensive partner because the two beasts of Trick Room break down each others' checks and counters, while also boasting decent type synergy. Lastly, a late-game cleaner, such as Zangoose or Absol, is recommended to take out the trash after Octillery's aquatic rampage has ended.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Octillery's strange combination of traits and moves gives it a plethora of other options to choose from. A Choice Scarf could be used in order to patch up Octillery's low Speed stat, but its power is greatly reduced and it only outspeeds up to max Speed base 100s, meaning it's not worth the inability to switch moves. Psychic gives super effective on Fighting-types, dealing slightly more damage to Gurdurr and Sawk than Surf, but the difference is negligible and Psychic doesn't provide any additional coverage. Scald is another STAB option, boasting a useful burn chance, but the drop in power from Surf is significant enough for it to be an inferior choice.</p>
<p>A set composed of Thunder Wave and 3 attacks could be used in an attempt to mitigate Octillery's Speed issues, though Octillery's mediocre defenses will often be a letdown. Toxic can be utilized to cripple walls, but generally straight-up attacking is the better course of action. Haze could have some potential use to shut down the troublesome Calm Mind Musharna, but Octillery is way too frail to abuse it properly. Another useful option is Flamethrower, a 100% accurate but weaker alternative to Fire Blast. Acid Spray can be used to wreak havoc on walls like Lickilicky by lowering their Special Defense stat. Signal Beam has the sole purpose of hitting Ludicolo super effectively. Icy Wind might allow Octillery to outspeed a switch-in. Substitute would ease prediction, but it is contradictory to Water Spout. Lastly, Octillery's solid Attack stat can be abused with physical moves such as Waterfall, Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, Return, and Flail, but the lack of coverage on Grass-types makes special variants more effective. To essentially sum this section up, Octillery has a large movepool, but few options are actually all that useful and one would usually do best to stick to the moves listed on the main sets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Generally, beating Octillery is not difficult thanks to its mediocre defenses and terrible Speed. Ludicolo is a perfect counter, boasting a 4x resistance to Water Spout and taking little damage from any of Octillery's other attacks. Paralysis is a major issue, as one full paralysis means a dead Octillery. Amoonguss, Water Absorb Cacturne, Lapras, Seismitoad, and Mantine make ideal switch-ins to Octillery's frighteningly powerful STAB Water-type attacks. Altaria walls it and can set up on any Octillery lacking Ice Beam. Calm Mind Musharna can boost its Special Defense to a point where Octillery cannot break through, and Gardevoir is in a similar boat. Miltank and Lickilicky are adequate checks and have numerous ways of forcing misery upon Octillery. Regice and Muk can take pretty much any attack that Octillery might throw at them with great ease. Otherwise, anything that can take a full health Water Spout or set up entry hazards, particularly when combined with a sturdy spinblocker, is troublesome for Octillery.</p>
[gp]2/2[/gp]
