[Overview]
<p>Not much has changed for our octopus friend; its movepool is relatively untouched, its abilities are the same, and it's played in exactly the same way as Gen 4. What makes Octillery so dangerous is its combination of deadly STAB, high attacking stats, and outstanding coverage moves. The only thing holding Octillery back is its horrible Speed; fortunately, Octillery has access to Suction Cups, making it an excellent Baton Pass receiver. Not only that, Octillery's Speed is low enough to compete in Trick Room, and it has access to Thunder Wave as well, making its Speed a non-issue. In addition, Octillery's defensive stats are usable, and it only has two weaknesses, giving it more opportunities to switch in. If you can overcome Octillery's poor Speed, it becomes a potent threat on any team, and it shouldn't be overlooked.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass Receiver
move 1: Surf
move 2: Energy Ball
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Fire Blast / Charge Beam
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Suction Cups
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>You may be asking yourself "why would you use Octillery as a Baton Pass receiver? Are you mad!?" The answer to this question is in its ability: Suction Cups. Thanks to Suction Cups, Octillery can't be forced out by Roar or Whirlwind, making it an unstoppable sweeper after receiving a few boosts. The chosen moves provide the best possible coverage, hitting almost everything in the tier neutrally, and dealing as much damage as possible. Surf gives Octillery a powerful STAB move to play with, Energy Ball hits opposing Water-types, Ice Beam hits Grass-, Flying-, and Dragon-types super effectively, and Fire Blast is used to hit Steel-types, such as Mawile, super effectively. Alternatively, Charge Beam raises Octillery's Special Attack, and its accuracy is preferable over Fire Blast's 85%.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Timid nature can be used if you prefer the extra Speed, but it severely weakens Octillery. Flamethrower is an option over Fire Blast if you're not a fan of its 85% accuracy, as there is no significant power difference. In terms of team support, Octillery appreciates Stealth Rock on the opponent's side of the field. Mesprit is an excellent choice as it can set up Stealth Rock, cripple an opponent with Thunder Wave, and escape the field with U-turn. Whirlipede is another great partner as it can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and its Poison typing grants it an easy switch in to Grass-types.</p>
<p>Pokemon that can pass Octillery boosts are a neccessity. Lopunny and Ledian can pass Agility, Mr. Mime and Plusle can pass Nasty Plot, Musharna and Drifblim can pass Calm Mind, Prankster Volbeat can pass Substitutes and Tail Glow, and Illumise can pass Growth boosts. Ariados should also be considered, as it can trap an opponent with Spider Web and help a teammate set up.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Special Attacker
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Surf
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Expert Belt
ability: Sniper
nature: Quiet
ivs: 0 Spe
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Octillery is slow, slow enough to utilize Trick Room to its full potential. The idea is get get a teammate to set up Trick Room, bring Octillery in safely, and start firing off powerful attacks. Provided you can switch it in safely, Octillery's Water Spout has an astonishing 225 Base Power, drenching anything that doesn't resist it. Surf is used when Octillery isn't at full health, and it's a reliable backup move for late-game. Energy Ball hits opposing Water-types, while Ice Beam hits Grass-, Dragon-, and Flying-types super effectively. Expert Belt is the chosen item as it doesn't hinder Water Spout; furthermore, it allows Octillery to bluff a Choice item, which can surprise an opponent if you use it correctly.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature ensure Octillery is as slow as possible. Maximum HP investment gives Octillery extra bulk, giving it numerous opportunities to switch in and power its way through the opponent's team. A Life Orb can be used over Expert Belt to boost Octillery's attacking power, but it's recommended that you use Fire Blast over Water Spout, as with the HP loss from Life Orb, it becomes incredibly weak. Alternatively, a Lum Berry gives Octillery a safeguard from status.</p>
<p>To ensure Water Spout remains at 225 Base Power, Rapid Spin support is essential to keep Octillery at full health. Cryogonal can remove entry hazards, restore its health with Recover, and switch into specially-based Electric- and Grass-type moves aimed at Octillery. Entry hazard support helps Octillery KO the opponent easier, and also helps cripple bulkier Pokemon. Whirlipede and Mesprit are great teammates to set up entry hazards; in addition, Mesprit has access to Trick Room and Toxic, making it an ideal team supporter.</p>
<p>Trick Room support is obvious for this set, turning Octillery into a dangerous sweeper. Solrock can set up Trick Room and Stealth Rock, cripple opponents with Will-O-Wisp, and Explode afterwards, giving Octillery a safe switch-in. Musharna is another great choice as it can set up with Calm Mind, provide Trick Room support, and utilize Baton Pass to give Octillery additional power. Finally, Swoobat can set up Trick Room, and thanks to its high Speed, it'll move last, which provides Octillery with a safe switch in with U-turn. Other Trick Room abusers include Duosion, Grumpig, and Beheeyem.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Surf
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
ability: Sniper
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Octillery may be slow, but it isn't the slowest Pokemon in the tier. This set uses Choice items to make it more powerful, or in Choice Scarf's case, raising its Speed. The idea behind this set is to attack slower Pokemon with Choice Specs, and when the opponent switches, hit it with a powerful coverage move. However, with a Choice Scarf, Octillery will outspeed all neutral base 100 Pokemon, and all max Speed base 90 Pokemon. Water Spout should only be used when Octillery is at full health, and coming off Octillery's high Special Attack, it's going to hurt. Surf is an alternative for when Octillery's HP is lowered, and it also receives a STAB boost. Energy Ball hits opposing Water-types, while Ice Beam hits Grass-, Flying-, and Dragon-types super effectively. Fire Blast can be used for more power against Grass-, Ice-, and Steel-types; however, it leaves Octillery helpless against Dragon-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Modest nature should be used with Choice Specs, as Octillery wants to deal as much damage as possible. Either nature can be used with a Scarf, but Timid is recommended, as it can outspeed neutral base 100 Speed Pokemon, such as Miltank and Raichu. Entry hazard support helps Octillery weaken its switch-ins, and it also ruins Sturdy Pokemon that have full health. Probopass can set up Stealth Rock and support Octillery with Thunder Wave, while Whirlipede can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes quite easily thanks to its massive defenses.</p>
<p>Rapid Spin support is helpful too; Octillery needs max HP for Water Spout to be effective, and the prevalance of Stealth Rock makes it a neccessity. Cryogonal is a great choice as it can use Recover to keep it healthy, and Levitate grants it an immunity to Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Eviolite Sandshrew is a rather unconventionl option, but luckily it can switch into Octillery's Electric-type weakness, and it can set up Stealth Rock to support its teammates. Grass-types can switch into Octillery's weaknesses, and the majority of them have access to Aromatherapy to keep its teammates healthy. Dragon-types can also switch into Grass- and Electric-type moves; Zweilous and Fraxure are decent offensive choices, while Wish passing Shelgon is a more defensive option.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Octillery sports a rather strange movepool for an octopus, giving it numerous other options. Psychic, Scald, Signal Beam, Sludge Bomb, and Flash Cannon are all alternative special moves; unfortunately, their type coverage is poor, or their Base Power is lower, making them inferior to the moves listed. Thunder Wave can be used to help Octillery overcome its lackluster Speed, while Toxic gives it a way to wear down bulky walls, such as Cryogonal. A critical hit set can be made up of Sniper, Scope Lens, and Focus energy but it's largely luck-based and unreliable. Octillery can use Haze to erase the opponent's stat boosts, but most of the time it's too frail to survive a boosted attack. Finally, a physical-based set can be used with any combination of Waterfall, Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, Return, and Flail. Rock Blast is particilarly helpful as it can break through Substitutes and it defeats the likes of Ninjak and Cryogonal.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Anything with decent Special Defense can take on Octillery. Cryogonal can take on most sets as it has massive Special Defense, high Speed, access to Recover, and Toxic can be used to wear down Octillery. Hypno, Audino, and Lickilicky can stay healthy with Wish, have high defensive stats, and all have access to a variety of useful support moves as well. Cradily, Meganium, and Altaria can take on sets without Ice Beam; furthermore, the former two have access to super effective Grass-type moves. Lapras can switch into anything bar Energy Ball and use Thunderbolt to KO Octillery. Anything with enough Speed to outrun Octillery can be considered a check; Amoongus, Throh, Miltank, and Ampharos are all decent choices. Although uncommon, Shedinja can take on sets without a Fire-type move, and it can proceed to pummel through the opposing team with Swords Dance-boosted attacks. Calm Mind users can raise their Special Defense to combat Octillery's powerful attacks, making it much easier to defeat. Musharna is an excellent option as it has access to Moonlight to restore its HP and Baton Pass to support its teammates. Entry hazards ensure Water Spout is as weak as possible, so Pokemon that can set up Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes are highly recommeneded. As long as you can identify which set it's running, Octillery isn't difficult to beat. Stop it from setting up, and prevent field effects as much as possible.</p>
