Here is another original analysis made as part of the ongoing RBY UU Analysis Project. I once again do not feel like getting a sprite (sorry). This draft was written in about 90 minutes and I haven't yet proofread it, so pardon any major mistakes. They will be fixed soon. Cheers!
[OVERVIEW]
Upon first glance, it may be difficult to ascertain why any player would even consider using Tangela in a competitive match. It has very little offensive presence, a limited movepool, and a Speed lower than even Vaporeon. It is also quite vulnerable to Wrap users and Ice-type moves, both of which are rather common in the tier. It makes sense that Tangela was first perceived as little more than a gimmick.
While Tangela is still far from a staple, it has begun to establish itself in the tier because it compresses a precise combination of desirable traits. For starters, the pure Grass typing makes Tangela a strong check to Earthquake users like Dugtrio and Golem without picking up a weakness to Rock Slide. It similarly prepares Tangela to check Electric-types like Electabuzz and Raichu. Sleep Powder is a blessing in a tier where the few other sleep inducers largely rely on the rather inaccurate Hypnosis, making Tangela more reliable and freeing up Hypnosis users to explore alternative sets and play more aggressively. Additionally, Tangela's access to Stun Spore lets it stymie opposing sweepers and Wrap users, such as Dugtrio and Tentacruel, while also enabling friendly sweepers and Wrap users, and it can paralyze Dugtrio behind a Substitute. Finally, while it is not on the level of defensive staples like Vaporeon and Omastar, Tangela can be a makeshift check to a lot of common sweepers when at full health. Normal-type Pokemon like Kangaskhan and Persian usually win the matchup but tend to fear paralysis. Tangela does not fit on every team by any means, but its unique combination of defensive and supportive traits can make it the perfect choice on a select few, rather potent teams.
Even with all of these positives, Tangela still has many flaws and can be easily exploited by many Pokemon. Tangela's extremely low Speed makes it easy to chip down with Wrap and revenge kill. Its Grass typing also leaves it vulnerable to Ice-type moves from the likes of Articuno and the tier’s many Water-type Pokemon, as well as Dodrio’s Drill Peck. Poor offensive options also leave it nearly unable to touch some Pokemon, including Dragonite, Haunter, and other Grass-type Pokemon. Finally, Sleep Powder's and Stun Spore's imperfect accuracy can occasionally mean the difference between a win and a loss. Thus, Tangela should only be used when its unique role compression cannot be replicated by other team members.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Stun Spore
move 3: Bind
move 4: Body Slam / Mega Drain / Rest
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set allows Tangela to function as a pivot. Sleep Powder and Stun Spore are more or less essential to any variant of Tangela. These two moves give it a significant amount of utility, allowing it to punish switch ins and enable its teammates to sweep. Even with Bind, Tangela is largely outclassed by other prominent Dugtrio checks like Dragonite and Gyarados if it chooses not to run both status moves. Bind functions just like Wrap, albeit with slightly lower accuracy, dealing chip damage and generating safe switches. Due to Tangela's low speed, Bind is most useful against paralyzed targets, though Tangela can usually afford to take a hit before using Bind if it must. Body Slam is very weak from Tangela, but it hits most targets neutrally and threatens paralysis. Mega Drain is similarly weak, but can hit a few targets for super effective damage and get Tangela a little health back in the process. Omastar and Golem are particularly fearful of Mega Drain, which is likely to 2HKO both. Rest serves to make Tangela a more complete wall but makes it even less offensively threatening. Due to Tangela having essentially no offensive presence with Rest, it may be worth running Body Slam or Mega Drain over Bind.
[SET]
name: Defensive Growth
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Stun Spore
move 3: Growth
move 4: Mega Drain
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set is a slightly more offensive take on the traditionally defensive Pokemon. Growth slowly boosts both Tangela's offensive and defensive prowess. While some Pokemon like Dragonite and Haunter are still not fazed by Tangela’s offenses, this set can bully some defensive Pokemon. Examples include Hypno and Vaporeon, especially if they have been paralyzed; unless they can land a critical hit, Tangela is relatively free to boost with Growth while both dealing damage and regaining health with Mega Drain. The threat of Stun Spore crippling a teammate pressures these Pokemon from switching out. Sleep Powder is always a useful move and allows Tangela to accomplish something even when it can’t quite get going with Growth. Moreover, after successfully using Sleep Powder, Tangela can use Stun Spore to potentially punish a switch-in looking to keep Tangela from setting up with Growth.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
By far the most enticing option in Tangela’s toolkit is a Swords Dance set with Body Slam, Hyper Beam, or both. However, boosting is really difficult in RBY UU, especially when neither Speed nor a defensive stat is rising. Moreover, Tangela’s Attack stat and physical movepool are dismal, making such a set underwhelming even in ideal conditions.
When experimenting with different sets for Tangela, generally refrain from removing Tangela's status moves, especially Sleep Powder. This keeps it from being outclassed by other defensive Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Haunter**: Once Tangela uses Stun Spore against Haunter, it is virtually incapable further of threatening it. Haunter resists or is immune to every single move Tangela can learn. Even if Tangela somehow maximizes its Special with Growth, Mega Drain can only sometimes score a 4HKO. Haunter, on the other hand, scores an easy 4HKO with Night Shade or a 5HKO or better with Psychic.
**Flying-type Pokemon**: All of the tier’s prominent Flying-type Pokemon threaten Tangela. Much like Haunter, Dragonite is simply not afraid of any move that Tangela can throw at it. Dragonite can use its superior Speed to work Tangela’s health down with Wrap and easily put it away with Blizzard or any powerful physical attack, possibly even leaving the entire exchange unscathed. Articuno similarly fears none any of Tangela’s attacks, and its incredibly strong Blizzard boasts an impressive 51.3% chance to simply OHKO Tangela. The rare Moltres functions nearly identically and takes even less from Mega Drain. Dodrio does fear paralysis and doesn't have Wrap to avoid getting hit like Dragonite, but it can easily revenge kill Tangela, as Drill Peck is a clean 2HKO. Gyarados has the least desirable matchup of the Flying-type Pokemon but can still 2HKO with Blizzard provided Tangela doesn’t reclaim too much health with Mega Drain.
**Grass-, Bug-, and Fire-type Pokemon**: While these Pokemon are a fair deal less common than the Pokemon discussed above, they still check Tangela thoroughly. While it admittedly can’t do much in return, Venusaur shrugs off virtually any hit Tangela can throw at it. Venomoth likewise takes very little damage from Tangela and can threaten paralysis or possibly 5HKO with Psychic. Yet again, Pinsir is unafraid of Tangela’s moves and can pivot out with Bind, set up with Swords Dance, or 3HKO it outright with Slash. Fire-types, while exceedingly uncommon, will check Tangela and claim 2HKOs or OHKOs with Fire Blast.
**Ice-type Moves**: Outside of Articuno and Dragonite, Tangela can beat most users of Ice-type moves with status or Mega Drain. However, every major user of Blizzard or Ice Beam aside from Omastar is faster than Tangela and thus can pressure it, especially if it has taken a few hits or hasn't used Growth yet. So long as these Pokemon aren't paralyzed, they are capable of revenge killing Tangela or even winning one-on-one.
**Tentacruel**: While Tentacruel would prefer not to risk getting paralyzed, it is more than capable of handling Tangela. Like Dragonite, Tentacruel can easily whittle Tangela down with Wrap and finish it off with a powerful Blizzard.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Volk, 530877]]
- Quality checked by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353], [EB0LA, 423005]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Rabia, 336073]]
Note: As you can see, I included two sets in this analysis. Please let me know if I formatted this incorrectly.
[OVERVIEW]
Upon first glance, it may be difficult to ascertain why any player would even consider using Tangela in a competitive match. It has very little offensive presence, a limited movepool, and a Speed lower than even Vaporeon. It is also quite vulnerable to Wrap users and Ice-type moves, both of which are rather common in the tier. It makes sense that Tangela was first perceived as little more than a gimmick.
While Tangela is still far from a staple, it has begun to establish itself in the tier because it compresses a precise combination of desirable traits. For starters, the pure Grass typing makes Tangela a strong check to Earthquake users like Dugtrio and Golem without picking up a weakness to Rock Slide. It similarly prepares Tangela to check Electric-types like Electabuzz and Raichu. Sleep Powder is a blessing in a tier where the few other sleep inducers largely rely on the rather inaccurate Hypnosis, making Tangela more reliable and freeing up Hypnosis users to explore alternative sets and play more aggressively. Additionally, Tangela's access to Stun Spore lets it stymie opposing sweepers and Wrap users, such as Dugtrio and Tentacruel, while also enabling friendly sweepers and Wrap users, and it can paralyze Dugtrio behind a Substitute. Finally, while it is not on the level of defensive staples like Vaporeon and Omastar, Tangela can be a makeshift check to a lot of common sweepers when at full health. Normal-type Pokemon like Kangaskhan and Persian usually win the matchup but tend to fear paralysis. Tangela does not fit on every team by any means, but its unique combination of defensive and supportive traits can make it the perfect choice on a select few, rather potent teams.
Even with all of these positives, Tangela still has many flaws and can be easily exploited by many Pokemon. Tangela's extremely low Speed makes it easy to chip down with Wrap and revenge kill. Its Grass typing also leaves it vulnerable to Ice-type moves from the likes of Articuno and the tier’s many Water-type Pokemon, as well as Dodrio’s Drill Peck. Poor offensive options also leave it nearly unable to touch some Pokemon, including Dragonite, Haunter, and other Grass-type Pokemon. Finally, Sleep Powder's and Stun Spore's imperfect accuracy can occasionally mean the difference between a win and a loss. Thus, Tangela should only be used when its unique role compression cannot be replicated by other team members.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Stun Spore
move 3: Bind
move 4: Body Slam / Mega Drain / Rest
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set allows Tangela to function as a pivot. Sleep Powder and Stun Spore are more or less essential to any variant of Tangela. These two moves give it a significant amount of utility, allowing it to punish switch ins and enable its teammates to sweep. Even with Bind, Tangela is largely outclassed by other prominent Dugtrio checks like Dragonite and Gyarados if it chooses not to run both status moves. Bind functions just like Wrap, albeit with slightly lower accuracy, dealing chip damage and generating safe switches. Due to Tangela's low speed, Bind is most useful against paralyzed targets, though Tangela can usually afford to take a hit before using Bind if it must. Body Slam is very weak from Tangela, but it hits most targets neutrally and threatens paralysis. Mega Drain is similarly weak, but can hit a few targets for super effective damage and get Tangela a little health back in the process. Omastar and Golem are particularly fearful of Mega Drain, which is likely to 2HKO both. Rest serves to make Tangela a more complete wall but makes it even less offensively threatening. Due to Tangela having essentially no offensive presence with Rest, it may be worth running Body Slam or Mega Drain over Bind.
[SET]
name: Defensive Growth
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Stun Spore
move 3: Growth
move 4: Mega Drain
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set is a slightly more offensive take on the traditionally defensive Pokemon. Growth slowly boosts both Tangela's offensive and defensive prowess. While some Pokemon like Dragonite and Haunter are still not fazed by Tangela’s offenses, this set can bully some defensive Pokemon. Examples include Hypno and Vaporeon, especially if they have been paralyzed; unless they can land a critical hit, Tangela is relatively free to boost with Growth while both dealing damage and regaining health with Mega Drain. The threat of Stun Spore crippling a teammate pressures these Pokemon from switching out. Sleep Powder is always a useful move and allows Tangela to accomplish something even when it can’t quite get going with Growth. Moreover, after successfully using Sleep Powder, Tangela can use Stun Spore to potentially punish a switch-in looking to keep Tangela from setting up with Growth.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
By far the most enticing option in Tangela’s toolkit is a Swords Dance set with Body Slam, Hyper Beam, or both. However, boosting is really difficult in RBY UU, especially when neither Speed nor a defensive stat is rising. Moreover, Tangela’s Attack stat and physical movepool are dismal, making such a set underwhelming even in ideal conditions.
When experimenting with different sets for Tangela, generally refrain from removing Tangela's status moves, especially Sleep Powder. This keeps it from being outclassed by other defensive Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Haunter**: Once Tangela uses Stun Spore against Haunter, it is virtually incapable further of threatening it. Haunter resists or is immune to every single move Tangela can learn. Even if Tangela somehow maximizes its Special with Growth, Mega Drain can only sometimes score a 4HKO. Haunter, on the other hand, scores an easy 4HKO with Night Shade or a 5HKO or better with Psychic.
**Flying-type Pokemon**: All of the tier’s prominent Flying-type Pokemon threaten Tangela. Much like Haunter, Dragonite is simply not afraid of any move that Tangela can throw at it. Dragonite can use its superior Speed to work Tangela’s health down with Wrap and easily put it away with Blizzard or any powerful physical attack, possibly even leaving the entire exchange unscathed. Articuno similarly fears none any of Tangela’s attacks, and its incredibly strong Blizzard boasts an impressive 51.3% chance to simply OHKO Tangela. The rare Moltres functions nearly identically and takes even less from Mega Drain. Dodrio does fear paralysis and doesn't have Wrap to avoid getting hit like Dragonite, but it can easily revenge kill Tangela, as Drill Peck is a clean 2HKO. Gyarados has the least desirable matchup of the Flying-type Pokemon but can still 2HKO with Blizzard provided Tangela doesn’t reclaim too much health with Mega Drain.
**Grass-, Bug-, and Fire-type Pokemon**: While these Pokemon are a fair deal less common than the Pokemon discussed above, they still check Tangela thoroughly. While it admittedly can’t do much in return, Venusaur shrugs off virtually any hit Tangela can throw at it. Venomoth likewise takes very little damage from Tangela and can threaten paralysis or possibly 5HKO with Psychic. Yet again, Pinsir is unafraid of Tangela’s moves and can pivot out with Bind, set up with Swords Dance, or 3HKO it outright with Slash. Fire-types, while exceedingly uncommon, will check Tangela and claim 2HKOs or OHKOs with Fire Blast.
**Ice-type Moves**: Outside of Articuno and Dragonite, Tangela can beat most users of Ice-type moves with status or Mega Drain. However, every major user of Blizzard or Ice Beam aside from Omastar is faster than Tangela and thus can pressure it, especially if it has taken a few hits or hasn't used Growth yet. So long as these Pokemon aren't paralyzed, they are capable of revenge killing Tangela or even winning one-on-one.
**Tentacruel**: While Tentacruel would prefer not to risk getting paralyzed, it is more than capable of handling Tangela. Like Dragonite, Tentacruel can easily whittle Tangela down with Wrap and finish it off with a powerful Blizzard.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Volk, 530877]]
- Quality checked by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353], [EB0LA, 423005]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Rabia, 336073]]
Note: As you can see, I included two sets in this analysis. Please let me know if I formatted this incorrectly.
Last edited:
