[OVERVIEW]
Tangrowth is best characterized as RU's premier pivot thanks to its high physical bulk, useful set of resistances, and, more importantly, access to Regenerator. Its typing allows it to check a myriad of Pokemon including Jellicent, Alomomola, Rhyperior, Flygon, and Mega Steelix. Futhermore, due to Tangrowth primarily acting as a special attacker, it is not as hindered by Scald burns in contrast to other offensive threats, making it a great switch-in to bulky Water-types. Tangrowth is also able to fulfill a number of roles including an offensive pivot, Assault Vest tank, and physical wall. In regards to its offensive qualities, Tangrowth has great Special Attack complemented by a decent movepool and makes for a fantastic Life Orb user thanks to Regenerator restoring lost HP from recoil. Tangrowth also has access to slew of useful support moves such as Knock Off, Stun Spore, and, most notably, Sleep Powder, allowing it to temporarily neutralize any switch-in. However, Tangrowth's very lackluster Special Defense means that without an Assault Vest, even resisted special attacks such as Choice Specs Rotom-C's Leaf Storm 2HKO it. Low Speed is also an issue, as it has to run investment just to outspeed defensive Pokemon. Lastly, despite its mono-Grass typing giving it good resistances, Tangrowth also has crippling weaknesses to common Fire- and Ice-type attacks.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Sleep Powder / Giga Drain / Knock Off
item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 132 HP / 252 SpA / 124 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Leaf Storm backed by Life Orb or Choice Specs hits absurdly hard but has the drawback of lowering Tangrowth's Special Attack two stages. Focus Blast hits Pokemon that resist Leaf Storm such as Houndoom, Durant, and Bronzong. Sludge Bomb has great type coverage alongside Leaf Storm and Focus Blast, hitting Virizion, Rotom-C, Togetic, Delphox, and Fletchinder, as well as hitting opposing Tangrowth. Sleep Powder temporarily incapacitates one of the opponent's Pokemon and prevents any counterplay against Tangrowth after its Special Attack has dropped from using Leaf Storm. Giga Drain is an alternative to have a consistent STAB move that also allows Tangrowth to gain back lost HP. Knock Off, even when using a Modest nature, works well on Tangrowth, as it gives it the utility of removing items and has the added bonus of hitting Bronzong and Delphox super effectively. Earthquake is another option to be used in tandem with Life Orb to target Houndoom, Delphox, Emboar, Drapion, and Garbodor. Hidden Power Fire allows Tangrowth to hit Escavalier and Amoonguss, but it tends to be very weak and has very little use outside of hitting those two.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack EVs plus a Modest nature allow Tangrowth to hit as hard as possible. 124 Speed EVs are used to outspeed minimum Speed Alomomola and below, while the rest of the EVs go into HP to give it added bulk. Regenerator restores lost HP from switching into attacks, enabling Tangrowth to function as a reliable pivot. Life Orb gives a great boost in power, allows Tangrowth to switch between its moves, and functions very well with Regenerator. Choice Specs is an alternative to have Tangrowth hit even harder and without the drawback of recoil at the cost of versatility.
Usage Tips
========
Use Tangrowth to switch in on weak or resisted attacks such as Scald and Earthquake and punish the opponent by unleashing powerful special attacks. Be cautious when using Leaf Storm, especially when holding Choice Specs, as it gives Houndoom and Virizion a free setup opportunity. Tangrowth can also pivot into powerful physical attacks such as Scrafty's High Jump Kick and Virizion's Close Combat thanks to its naturally high physical bulk. Though Tangrowth takes Knock Off considerably well, try to avoid the move, as losing its item significantly lowers its damage output. If using Knock Off, use it early-game to remove the items of any switch-ins such as Emboar and Houndoom. Make sure to use Sleep Powder sparingly, as it can only put one Pokemon to sleep at a time, so try to make sure it is used against the opponent's most threatening Pokemon. Sleep Powder should also be used in situations where the opponent tries to take advantage of Tangrowth after its Special Attack has dropped from Leaf Storm. For example, it can prevent a setup sweeper such as Dragon Dance Scrafty from boosting for free. Generally, Tangrowth should stay away from special attackers, as even resisted special attacks such as Choice Specs Rotom-C's Leaf Storm deal heavy damage.
Team Options
========
Water-types such as Jellicent and Alomomola work well with this set due to their great type synergy with Tangrowth and ability to switch into Durant, Escavalier, Mega Glalie, and Emboar. Fire-types such as Houndoom and Emboar pair well with Tangrowth, as both threaten Grass-, Steel-, and Ice-types that threaten Tangrowth, while in return, Tangrowth is able to switch into Pokemon such as Alomomola, Jellicent, and Rhyperior. Mega Steelix is a good teammate, as it sets up Stealth Rock to support Tangrowth, appreciates Tangrowth's ability to switch into bulky Water-types, and checks Pokemon that give Tangrowth issues such as Escavalier and Durant. Mega Camerupt is a good partner, as it sets up Stealth Rock and switches into Virizion and Choice Specs Rotom-C well, while in return, Tangrowth switches into Pokemon that threaten Mega Camerupt such as Jellicent, Seismitoad, Flygon, and Rhyperior.
Late-game cleaners pair well with Tangrowth due to its ability to punch holes through teams, so Jolteon, Rock Polish Tyrantrum, and Choice Scarf Emboar are all good partners. Spikes users such as Qwilfish and Mega Glalie pair well with Tangrowth due to the number of switches it forces. The former fits on more balanced teams due to its defensive synergy with Tangrowth, checking Durant and Escavalier, while the latter is a more offensively oriented partner that appreciates Tangrowth's ability to threaten bulky Water-types and takes out Grass-types such as Amoonguss and Rotom-C. Fletchinder is a decent partner, as Tangrowth checks Pokemon that give it issues such as Rhyperior, Jellicent, and Alomomola, while Fletchinder uses Grass-types as setup bait. Dugtrio is another good partner, as it traps and takes out key Pokemon that give Tangrowth troubles such as Houndoom, Delphox, and Drapion.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Giga Drain / Leaf Storm
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Focus Blast / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Earthquake / Rock Slide
item: Assault Vest
ability: Regenerator
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Giga Drain is a consistent STAB move that keeps Tangrowth relatively healthy by draining HP from the foe, while Leaf Storm is an alternative for more immediate power at the cost of consistency. Knock Off has great utility in removing items and allows Tangrowth to hit Bronzong, Delphox, Meloetta, and Sigilyph. Focus Blast hits Pokemon that resist Giga Drain or Leaf Storm, including Houndoom, Durant, and Bronzong. Hidden Power Fire is mainly for hitting Escavalier and Amoonguss, as well as having the same Base Power as Focus Blast against Grass-types. Earthquake hits Fire- and Poison-types such as Emboar, Houndoom, Delphox, Drapion, and Garbodor. Rock Slide retains coverage on Houndoom and Delphox and has the added bonus of hitting Flying-types such as Fletchinder, Vivillon, and Braviary.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs increase Tangrowth's overall bulk and, coupled with Assault Vest, makes it specially bulky. 252 Special Attack EVs ensure its special attacks hit as hard as possible. A Quiet nature is used to increase Tangrowth's Special Attack while preserving its Attack. Assault Vest allows Tangrowth to tank special attacks very well, enabling it to check Pokemon it could not before such as Rotom-C and Jolteon and take more advantage of its Grass-, Water-, and Electric-type resistances. Regenerator allows Tangrowth to recover HP from switching out and is this set's only consistent form of recovery, letting it act as a reliable pivot. Max Special Defense is a good alternate spread as it allows Tangrowth to more easily check certain special attackers such as Meloetta and Flygon, while allowing it to take at least one Fire Blast from the likes of Delphox and hit it with a Knock Off in a pinch.
Usage Tips
========
Due to the increased special bulk from Assault Vest, this variant of Tangrowth can reliably switch into special attackers such as Jolteon and Rotom-C. Try to avoid Knock Off, as despite Tangrowth being able to tank it well, it will lose the ability to check certain special attackers without its Assault Vest. Because of this set's lack of recovery, switch in and out often throughout the match to ensure that Tangrowth stays healthy with Regenerator. If using Leaf Storm, try to be cautious when using the move, as it can leave Tangrowth setup bait or a free switch in for some Pokemon. Knock Off is generally a good move to use early-game to remove Pokemon's items. If the opponent has a Fire-type on their team, use Earthquake to hit it on the switch. Do be wary of Trick users such as Rotom-C, as Tangrowth is greatly hindered by being Tricked a Choice item due to it lowering its special bulk and locking it into a move.
Team Options
========
Because this Tangrowth is able to switch in on Grass- and Electric-types with more ease, Jellicent and Alomomola pair very well with it, as they have great synergy with Tangrowth, being able to switch into problematic Pokemon such as Durant, Escavalier, Delphox, Emboar, and Mega Glalie. Qwilfish is a great defensive partner, as it is able to take on physical attackers such as Durant, Emboar, and Hitmonlee relatively well and supports Tangrowth with Spikes, while Tangrowth switches in on Electric- and Ground-type attacks very well. Fire-types such as Houndoom, Delphox, and Emboar are good teammates for Tangrowth, as they appreciate Tangrowth's ability to switch into Water-types, while in return, they threaten Grass-, Steel-, and Ice-types that give Tangrowth trouble such as Amoonguss, Escavalier, and Mega Glalie.
Mega Steelix and Mega Camerupt both appreciate Tangrowth's ability to switch into bulky Water-types and support Tangrowth with Stealth Rock. Fletchinder is a decent partner, as Tangrowth checks Pokemon that give it issues such as Rhyperior, Jellicent, and Alomomola and takes Electric-type attacks well thanks to Assault Vest, while Fletchinder checks and uses Grass-types as setup bait. Mega Glalie and Accelgor do not have the greatest synergy with Tangrowth, but both threaten Grass-types with their respective STAB moves and support Tangrowth with Spikes. Dugtrio is a good partner thanks to its ability to trap problematic Pokemon such as Houndoom, Delphox, and Drapion.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Giga Drain
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Sleep Powder / Stun Spore
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold / Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Giga Drain is a reliable Grass-type STAB move that drains HP from foes, keeping Tangrowth healthy. Power Whip can be used over it as it hits more physically frail Pokemon such as Hitmonlee, Jolteon, and Gallade for a larger amount of damage, but running it makes Tangrowth a less reliable Scald switch-in. Sludge Bomb allows Tangrowth to check Virizion very well, while limiting switch-ins opportunists to other Grass-types and Fire-types such as Houndoom. Hidden Power Fire is an option over Sludge Bomb, as it hits Grass-types in addition to nailing certain Steel-type switch-ins such as Mega Steelix, Escavalier, Durant, Rotom-C, and Virizion. Knock Off allows Tangrowth to cripple nearly every Pokemon that switches into it; in particular, Knock Off is especially useful to wear down various walls by removing their Leftovers. Sleep Powder is an option to put certain defensive and support threats to Sleep, while Stun Spore allows Tangrowth to more admirably perform against offensive Pokemon. Synthesis ensures Tangrowth stays healthy, but its PP is limited. Leech Seed is an alternative to gain back HP from the foe's Pokemon and rack up residual damage in the process, discouraging Pokemon from setting up. Poison Jab lets Tangrowth reliably beat Swords Dance Virizion while also getting chip damage against Fletchinder and Houndoom.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs increase Tangrowth's overall bulk, while 136 Defense EVs plus a Defense-increasing nature reach a jump point in Defense and allow Tangrowth to check a myriad of physical attackers such as Virizion, Hitmonlee, and Tyrantrum much more reliably. Running 120 Special Defense EVs accomplishes a lot things; for instance, it prevents Modest Choice Specs Rotom-C's Leaf Storm from 2HKOing Tangrowth after Stealth Rock, usually allows Tangrowth to survive two Hexes from Jellicent after being burned, always lets it survive Timid Flygon's Fire Blast after Stealth Rock and one round of Leftovers recovery, and allows it to survive Life Orb Jolteon's Thunderbolt followed up by Hidden Power Ice after Stealth Rock and one round of Leftovers recovery a good majority of the time. A Bold nature should be used if Tangrowth is running all special attacks, while Relaxed is preferred if Tangrowth is running Power Whip. Regenerator allows Tangrowth to recover lost HP by switching out, allowing it to stay healthy more easily throughout the match. Leftovers is the item of choice to provide great passive recovery.
Usage Tips
========
Due to its increased physical bulk, it is recommended to use this variant of Tangrowth to switch into physical attackers such as Swords Dance Virizion, Hitmonlee, and Gallade. Switch in and out of the field often to stay healthy with Regenerator. Use Sleep Powder carefully, as Tangrowth can only put one Pokemon to sleep, so make sure it's saved for the opponent's most threatening Pokemon. Stun Spore is best used after the opponent has sent in their sleep fodder, allowing Tangrowth to cripple another Pokemon in the process. Knock Off is generally a good move to use early-game to cripple switch-ins by removing their items. Try to stay away from special attackers, as even resisted hits such as Choice Specs Rotom-C's Leaf Storm deal heavy damage to Tangrowth.
Team Options
========
Though Tangrowth does check a multitude of physical attackers, it falls to Pokemon such as Durant and Escavalier, so Emboar makes for a great teammate due to its ability to switch in on both and threaten them with Flare Blitz. Bulky Water-types such as Jellicent, Alomomola, and Qwilfish pair well with Tangrowth, as they can switch in on Pokemon that give Tangrowth issues, such as Emboar, Durant, and Escavalier, while the latter supports Tangrowth with Spikes. Mega Steelix is another good partner due to its ability to take on Durant, Drapion, and Escavalier, as well as set up Stealth Rock, while Tangrowth is able to switch in on bulky Water-types that give Mega Steelix issues.
Mega Camerupt is another good partner, as it easily switches in on Jolteon and Rotom-C, which give Tangrowth issues despite its resistance to their STAB type, sets up Stealth Rock, and appreciates Tangrowth's ability to switch in on Water- and Ground-type attacks. Druddigon is an interesting defensive partner, as it can switch in on physical attackers such as Emboar, Durant, and Escavalier and punish them with Rough Skin + Rocky Helmet damage, as well as support Tangrowth with Stealth Rock. Clerics such as Togetic and Aromatisse pair well with it, as both heal any status Tangrowth may have been inflicted with via Heal Bell, while the former provides Defog support and the latter provides Wish support.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Toxic is an option to cripple switch-ins, but generally Sleep Powder and Stun Spore have better utility as status moves. A full physical set could work due to Tangrowth's good Attack and surprisingly vast physical movepool, including a powerful STAB move in Power Whip, but it leaves Tangrowth much more vulnerable to Scald users. Tangrowth can also utilize a Chlorophyll set with Sunny Day support, but generally it's outclassed by other sun sweepers such as Victreebel and Shiftry. Swords Dance is another option on Tangrowth, but Virizion does it better thanks to its much better Speed and its Fighting STAB type. Ancient Power is an alternative for a Rock-type move to use on Tangrowth in order to still deal decent damage to Fletchinder if Tangrowth has been burned. Grass Knot is an option for a Grass-type STAB move, as it does heavy damage to Rhyperior, Seismitoad, and Mega Steelix and, unlike Leaf Storm, does not drop Tangrowth's Special Attack, but its power is too inconsistent for other targets. Seed Bomb is an option over Power Whip if accuracy is a concern, but the drop in power is notable, making it generally not worth it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Venomoth**: Venomoth can switch into any of Tangrowth's attacks bar Rock Slide and Hidden Power Fire, can avoid Sleep Powder with Substitute, and freely sets up with Quiver Dance while threatening Tangrowth with Bug Buzz.
**Grass-types**: Amoonguss, Roselia, and Virizion are immune to Sleep Powder and take very little from Leaf Storm or Giga Drain. The former two threaten Tangrowth with Sludge Bomb and take very little damage from its coverage moves, whereas the latter can use Tangrowth as setup bait. Both Amoonguss and Roselia also recover any lost health with Regenerator and Synthesis, respectively. Roselia does not really appreciate its Eviolite being removed from Knock Off, though.
**Fire-types**: Houndoom, Delphox, and Emboar can all switch in on Tangrowth's Grass-type attacks and threaten Tangrowth with their respective STAB moves. All of them do fear being hit by Earthquake, however. It is worth noting that Houndoom cannot switch in safely due to Focus Blast, while Delphox cannot switch in due to Knock Off. Tangrowth can also put them to sleep with Sleep Powder.
**Flying-types**: Braviary and Fletchinder switch in on most of Tangrowth's moves, only fearing the rare Rock Slide, and threaten it with Brave Bird and Acrobatics, respectively. The former is also able to use Tangrowth lacking a Rock-type move as setup bait and wear it down with Will-O-Wisp.
**Steel-types**: Escavalier, Durant, and Bronzong all resist Tangrowth's Grass-type STAB moves and take very little damage from all of its other moves except Hidden Power Fire. Escavalier is notable in that it is immune to Sleep Powder due to Overcoat, does not mind any attack that Tangrowth throws at it besides Hidden Power Fire, and threatens it with Megahorn. Bronzong only fears Knock Off, as it does not take very much damage from even Hidden Power Fire, and cripples Tangrowth with Toxic.
**Poison-types**: Drapion resists Leaf Storm and fears very little from Tangrowth besides a Life Orb-boosted Focus Blast or Earthquake. In return, Drapion can use Tangrowth as setup bait and threaten it with Poison Jab. Garbodor resists Leaf Storm, Focus Blast, and Sludge Bomb, making it good switch-in, and can retaliate with Gunk Shot.
**Ice-types**: Though both cannot safely switch in, Mega Glalie and Sneasel threaten Tangrowth with Refrigerate Double-Edge and Icicle Crash, respectively. Sneasel also cripples Life Orb and Assault Vest variants with Knock Off, either decreasing its damage output or hindering its ability to tank special attacks.
**Powerful Special Attackers**: Due to Tangrowth's low Special Defense, it has trouble taking even powerful resisted special attacks such as Choice Specs Rotom-C's Leaf Storm when not using an Assault Vest. Sigilyph easily switches in on Tangrowth, only fearing Knock Off, while Life Orb Psychic 2HKOes in return. Meloetta also threatens Tangrowth with its powerful Choice Specs- or Life Orb-boosted attacks and easily pivots into Tangrowth's special attacks, especially when equipped with an Assault Vest, thanks to its naturally high Special Defense, but Assault Vest Tangrowth can give it issues because it takes Meloetta's attacks relatively well and cripples it with Knock Off.
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