Tangrowth Discussion

[DittoCrow]

Tangrowth
Typing: Grass
Base Stats: 100 / 100 / 125 / 110 / 50 / 50
Abilities: Chlorophyll / Leaf Guard / Regenerator
​

Tangrowth is a monster, there's no argument there. It has base 100 HP, 100 Attack, 125 Defense, and 110 Special Attack. The only downsides are its low Special Defense and Speed, which are not a huge deal. Grass typing is also great in RU; it's good both defensively and offensively. In fact, Tangrowth can run BOTH offensive and defensive sets. Furthermore, Regenerator is an amazing ability, restoring Tangrowth's HP upon switching out. This works especially well with Slowking, as it also gets Regenerator, forming the famous "TanKing" combo. Tangrowth also has a plethora of good moves to choose from, including Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Leaf Storm, Giga Drain, Power Whip, Earthquake, and Focus Blast. Thus, it can perform a variety of roles: forcing switches with a SubSeed set, countering Drapion with Earthquake (or even setting up a Swords Dance), putting an opposing Pokemon to sleep, and doing major damage with a 140 Base Power STAB Leaf Storm. Offensive LO Tangrowth is quite popular at the moment, as almost nothing can switch into its coverage moves, Leaf Storm, Focus Blast, and Hidden Power [Rock], and it can make its checks utterly useless with Sleep Powder. While people may think that Regenerator Amoonguss now outclasses Tangrowth, they forget that Tangrowth is as good offensively as it is defensively. Let's take a look at Tangrowth's two main sets:

Sets:

Tangrowth (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Sleep Powder / Substitute
- Giga Drain
- Leech Seed
- Hidden Power [Fighting / Rock]

This set is great for walling big threats such as Swords Dance Feraligatr and Kabutops. These Pokemon can't really touch Tangrowth, so they're forced to switch out, leading to the opponent's Pokemon being put to sleep. Tangrowth can then use Leech Seed to gain some HP, which is great in tandem with Giga Drain and Regenerator. It can also use Substitute to form the effective SubSeed combo. Hidden Power Fighting is good for hitting foes such as Bouffalant and Sawsbuck, and is still super effective on Ferroseed and Klinklang who wall this set without Hidden Power Fire or Fighting. Hidden Power Rock is also a good option for hitting Fire-type switch-ins such as Moltres and Entei. Overall Tangrowth is a great physical wall, but its Special Defense is so low that many threats check this set.

Tangrowth (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 108 HP / 252 SAtk / 148 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Sleep Powder
- Leaf Storm
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Rock]

Tangrowth is usually seen as a more defensive Pokemon due to its high HP and Defense and low Speed. However, its base 110 Special Attack and good special movepool is overlooked. Few things can switch into any of this set's moves, and those who can get crippled by Sleep Powder. Focus Blast hits Steel-types such as Klinklang, Ferroseed, and Magneton, and Hidden Power Rock hits Fire-types such as Moltres and Entei. Leaf Storm decimates almost anything that doesn't resist it. These three moves have great coverage, and Tangrowth will usually get a KO because of this. After it gets a KO, though, it will most likely need to switch out, which is actually good. Regenerator cures Tangrowth of the HP it lost from Life Orb. You can then switch in a Pokemon such as Slowking, who covers a lot of Tangrowth's weaknesses and is a strong offensive threat itself. This combo is extremely hard to take down, making Tangrowth even more of an offensive mammoth than it already is.

Discussion starters:
What is your opinion on Tangrowth?
What other sets do you use?
How good is the TanKing core?
Is there another Pokemon that pairs well with Tangrowth?

 

[complete legitimacy]

Tangrowth was a dominating force last stage, and personally I thought it was approaching broken levels. The amount of Pokemon that could switch into any of its moves, including Sleep Powder, and beat both it and Slowking was ridiculously low. Roselia and Magmortar were the only 100% safe switch-ins, and even then Magmortar is easily worn down by hazards. Of course, Tangrowth had a bunch of checks depending on the set, but very few of them could also break through Slowking, never mind switching into it to boot. I ran both Magmortar and Cryogonal, one of its better checks, for most of the stage, and I would still lose to Tangrowth half the time since it's just that good. It never dies unless you horribly mispredict, or if you're just sacrificing it so that something else can switch in safely. It can beat its own checks with Sleep Powder, and most things immune to sleep are handled quite nicely by Tangrowth, bar Roselia and Magmortar. I really only formed this opinion late into the stage, when tier shifts and BW were almost upon us anyway, since there were likely going to be drastic metagame shifts.

However, I don't think Tangrowth will be anywhere near as broken as it was last stage in this new metagame. You can attribute this to a few things. Firstly, the new dropdowns both eat Tangrowth for breakfast, and demolish the TanKing core with proper prediction or Choice Band Megahorn. Escavalier 4x resists Leaf Storm and can run Sleep Talk on its Choice Band set, which may I add is the coolest move ever to have on a Choice set since you're not locked into the same move but you don't have a choice on which move you use. Hopefully this forces Tangrowth to make a choice between HP Rock and HP Fire, which makes Mandibuzz a better check to it. Nidoqueen demolishes the TanKing core with its coverage like Magmortar, but unlike Magmortar it doesn't have to make the choice between added power (especially against neutral targets) or increased longevity. Also, there's a bunch of things that got better in BW2 that should rise and beat down the TanKing core. Braviary has Roost to let it heal from Brave Bird, and could always beat Steelix, Ferroseed, and Rhydon with Superpower. Archeops also beats the TanKing core if it can take advantage of a double switch, and now that it has to Roost to negate Defeatist it might be a serious choice for a teamslot. Druddigon got a bunch of new moves, and its Choice Band set can also throw on Sleep Talk and just barely 2HKO with Outrage, or Fire Punch for offensive Tangrowth.

Of course, the biggest change that affects Tangrowth is Regenerator Amoonguss. Amoonguss gives Tangrowth some major competition on the defensive side, since it boasts better special bulk in addition to its good physical bulk, a more accurate sleep move, and a resistance to Fighting. It also has Clear Smog for setup sweepers such as Lilligant. However, I think Tangrowth is still better since it can pose a bigger offensive threat and isn't beaten by Bouffalant among other things. Since Synthesis is now legal with Regenerator, Tangrowth becomes even better. It all depends on what your team needs, I guess. Of course, I expect Tangrowth to continue to be a top-tier threat, but I don't think it'll approach broken levels again like it did last stage.

 

[DittoCrow]

Tangrowth has too many weaknesses: Bug-, Fire-, Ice-, Poison-, and Flying-type moves are pretty common (well, maybe not Flying). While Tangrowth takes out huge chunks of HP from most Pokemon, it can't OHKO a lot them. This causes a problem for Tangrowth. Because it has so many weaknesses and now that people are preparing for it (coughPoisonJabDrapioncough), it won't get the opportunity to come in and smash something easily. Yeah it's good for wearing down stuff, but it's no where near broken because it has so many weaknesses and many checks, and a lot of them can take a hit, Drapion, Entei, Magmortar, Typhlosion, Emboar, Roselia, Lilligant, Mandibuzz, Cryogonal, Mesprit, Rotom-C, Sceptile, Sigilyph, Druddigon, Braviary, and Metang jk. Basically if you don't have a strong attacker to deal with it, you're screwed, but as you can see, there are plenty of options. And yeah, Escavalier and Nidoqueen make it a lot worse :(. But it's still not hard to deal with! :P

 

[Lawrence III]

Tangrowth is a very cool pokemon, nice stats, a good movepool, and he looks cool in my opinion. He does have a lot of weaknesses as a grass type pokemon, kinda slow, and he's a little frail on the special defensive side of the ball. But that doesn't mean he doesn't do work, I use Tangrowth quite a bit on my Trick room team and he's done wonders for me.

Tangrowth (M) @ Life Orb/Choice Specs/Choice Band
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 SAtk or 252 Atk
Brave/Quiet Nature (+Atk/Sp Atk, -Spd)
- Sleep Powder
- Leaf Storm/Power Whip/Seed Bomb
- Focus Blast/Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Rock]/Rock Slide

You can either go physically offensive or with a special monster, either way these moves pretty much dent anything in the way. Sleep powder can be while you're in a trick room and you can just switch out afterwards. Tangrowth has a lot of moves to choose from so it doesn't necessarily have to be from this set, but this works for me in terms of fighting off things that really scare it from coming into battle.

Munchlax in my mind is the best partner for Tangrowth, there are plenty of fire type pokemon in the RU tier and they get used a lot. Typhlosion, Magmortar, and Moltres to name a few, but Munchlax can take those hits like a champ, with Thick fat, he should tank special hits easy.

 

[AsynchronousIO]

What the hell is Tangrowth doing in RU. It needs to be LOADS higher.

Anyway, someone ttly needs to run this moveset for comic relief.

Tangrowth (M) @ Binding Band
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def.
Naughty Nature
- Sleep Powder
- Bind
- Tickle
- Power Whip

 

[BattleStar]

Tangrowth I think is exactly where it belongs. If it goes any higher I won't see it as being very useful as it is in RU if moved to UU.

However one thing I do notice is that Tangrowth has a new threat; Gothitelle. Goth can complete set up on this guy. The thing it can do is nkt much like just Toxic, sleep powder, and Leech seeding goth. He has a serious trouble causing damage especially running special sets. Goth is able to fire off a ton of calm minds and just kill tango when it's finshed. I do not know however if this might make it drop in usage, but I certainly think twice of pivoting with Tango till goth is eliminated

 

[-Tsunami-]

Tangrowth used to be one of the best Pokemon in the tier. It could wall a ridiculous amount of stuff, and completely troll stuff like GATR TIME. However, it has recently been knocked down a lot by Gothitelle. Gothitelle completely sets up on Tangrowth with Calm Mind. The Scarf set can Trick it a Scarf and make it pretty much useless, and the Specs set can smash Tangrowth easily with Psychic. There's also Sub Roost Moltres, which sets up on Tangrowth easily unless it's running Hidden Power Rock, in which case it gets smashed by things like Escavalier. Things like Afrobull and Sawsbuck with Sap Sapper also easily troll Tangrowth, and if it uns HP Fighting to beat them, it loses out on the aforementioned Moltres. The Life Orb set is interesting, but for the most part, it still suffers from the same problems. Also, since Regenerator Amoongus was released, it can give Tangrowth stiff opposition. They both have regenerator, and while Tangrowth is a big stronger, Amoongus has access to Clear Smog and a 100% accuracy sleep move compared to a 75 Base Power one. Overall, Tangrowth's use in RU as fallen considerably due to the new threats in the metagame.