[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 2-4 Points
**Overview**: Tatsugiri is an unconventional budget spinner with a strong typing, shallow but usable movepool, high Special Attack stat with strong STAB options, and just enough utility moves to catch opponents off-guard. It fits best on teams with several prominent physical attackers that give it room to deal damage and provide utility for its team. All that being said, Tatsugiri has almost no coverage, a relatively low Speed stat, and paper-thin Defense, which makes it outclassed by nearly every other Rapid Spin user in the metagame.
Common Roles
========
**Utility**: Tatsugiri’s main utility is being able to use Rapid Spin to keep entry hazards away for its teammates. Depending on the opposing team structure, it can then run strong STAB attacks, Taunt to prevent recovery or setup, and Memento to give a teammate an opportunity to sweep.
**Special Wallbreaker**: Tatsugiri can use Nasty Plot to boost its Special Attack and threaten teams without strong answers to Water- and Dragon-type moves. Icy Wind and Tera Blast offer coverage for specific cases, while Rapid Spin can be used to allow Tatsugiri to outrun typically faster foes. Choice Specs offers more immediate power at the cost of being locked into a move.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Hydro Pump, Surf
**Setup Moves**: Nasty Plot
**Utility Moves**: Rapid Spin, Memento, Taunt, Substitute
**Coverage**: Icy Wind, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Counter / Mirror Coat**: With a Focus Sash, a resistance Berry, or some defensive investment, Tatsugiri can live a hit and deal massive damage back, surprising foes that may not mind taking its attacks otherwise.
**Whirlpool**: Tatsugiri can trap foes switching in, allowing it to set up, attack, or pivot into teammates without worry of the foe also switching.
**Chilling Water**: Tatsugiri can reduce the Attack of foes with Chilling Water while dealing chip damage, allowing it to potentially survive a physical hit or let its teammates switch in more comfortably.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Tatsugiri prefers not to get worn down by entry hazards if it needs to switch in multiple times to use Rapid Spin and Draco Meteor, so Heavy-Duty Boots allows it to switch in and out more efficiently.
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf allows Tatsugiri to boost its relatively mediocre Speed and outrun would-be faster foes, threatening them with strong special coverage or spinning away hazards before it gets KOed.
**Damage-boosting items**: Choice Specs, Life Orb, Mystic Water, and Dragon Fang are all viable options to boost Tatsugiri’s offensive coverage against slower teams or in battles where it can consistently boost its Speed.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Tatsugiri can use Haban Berry, Roseli Berry, and even Yache Berry to live a super effective hit that would normally KO it and fire back with a Mirror Coat, Counter, or a strong offensive move.
**Assault Vest**: Tatsugiri has just enough attacking options and a usable enough Special Defense stat with Assault Vest to become an offensive pivot against weaker special attackers that can also potentially take super effective hits it normally couldn’t and fire back with a Mirror Coat.
**Eject Pack**: Against teams with multiple Pokemon that resist its STAB attacks, Tatsugiri can utilize Eject Pack to use a Draco Meteor to both deal big damage and allow it to pivot to a teammate for free.
Tera
========
Tatsugiri is a somewhat usable Tera Captain because it does appreciate any additional coverage, but more often than not, players should have stronger options. In the case where Tatsugiri is the only option, Tera Fire and Ground can grant Tatsugiri strong coverage against Steel-types with Tera Blast while taking advantage of Storm Drain, Tera Poison and Steel can help it hit Fairy-types, and Tera Electric and Grass do meaningful damage to Water-types.
Draft Strategy
========
Tatsugiri is primarily drafted late as a special wallbreaker and Rapid Spin user with decent typing and a Water immunity. It fits on specific teams lacking in the tools it can provide to teams on a budget. As it offers little else other than some small amount of utility, it should only be considered for well-built teams that already have physical offense, entry hazards, and type coverage locked in.
Checks and Counters
========
**Faster Foes**: Tatsugiri's middling Speed tier and unremarkable bulk leave it being outsped and threatened by a large portion of the metagame, at least before it can get a Speed boost from Rapid Spin.
**Physical Attackers**: Tatsugiri's low HP and Defense means even neutral STAB moves from foes like Urshifu-S, Landorus-T, and Galarian Zapdos can OHKO it without boosting items.
**Bulky Water- and Dragon-resistant Pokemon**: Empoleon, Primarina, and Azumarill are a few examples of bulkier Pokemon that resist or are immune to Tatsugiri’s STAB attacks and aren’t bothered by its meager coverage.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/xand.614716/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 2-4 Points
**Overview**: Tatsugiri is an unconventional budget spinner with a strong typing, shallow but usable movepool, high Special Attack stat with strong STAB options, and just enough utility moves to catch opponents off-guard. It fits best on teams with several prominent physical attackers that give it room to deal damage and provide utility for its team. All that being said, Tatsugiri has almost no coverage, a relatively low Speed stat, and paper-thin Defense, which makes it outclassed by nearly every other Rapid Spin user in the metagame.
Common Roles
========
**Utility**: Tatsugiri’s main utility is being able to use Rapid Spin to keep entry hazards away for its teammates. Depending on the opposing team structure, it can then run strong STAB attacks, Taunt to prevent recovery or setup, and Memento to give a teammate an opportunity to sweep.
**Special Wallbreaker**: Tatsugiri can use Nasty Plot to boost its Special Attack and threaten teams without strong answers to Water- and Dragon-type moves. Icy Wind and Tera Blast offer coverage for specific cases, while Rapid Spin can be used to allow Tatsugiri to outrun typically faster foes. Choice Specs offers more immediate power at the cost of being locked into a move.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Hydro Pump, Surf
**Setup Moves**: Nasty Plot
**Utility Moves**: Rapid Spin, Memento, Taunt, Substitute
**Coverage**: Icy Wind, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Counter / Mirror Coat**: With a Focus Sash, a resistance Berry, or some defensive investment, Tatsugiri can live a hit and deal massive damage back, surprising foes that may not mind taking its attacks otherwise.
**Whirlpool**: Tatsugiri can trap foes switching in, allowing it to set up, attack, or pivot into teammates without worry of the foe also switching.
**Chilling Water**: Tatsugiri can reduce the Attack of foes with Chilling Water while dealing chip damage, allowing it to potentially survive a physical hit or let its teammates switch in more comfortably.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Tatsugiri prefers not to get worn down by entry hazards if it needs to switch in multiple times to use Rapid Spin and Draco Meteor, so Heavy-Duty Boots allows it to switch in and out more efficiently.
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf allows Tatsugiri to boost its relatively mediocre Speed and outrun would-be faster foes, threatening them with strong special coverage or spinning away hazards before it gets KOed.
**Damage-boosting items**: Choice Specs, Life Orb, Mystic Water, and Dragon Fang are all viable options to boost Tatsugiri’s offensive coverage against slower teams or in battles where it can consistently boost its Speed.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Tatsugiri can use Haban Berry, Roseli Berry, and even Yache Berry to live a super effective hit that would normally KO it and fire back with a Mirror Coat, Counter, or a strong offensive move.
**Assault Vest**: Tatsugiri has just enough attacking options and a usable enough Special Defense stat with Assault Vest to become an offensive pivot against weaker special attackers that can also potentially take super effective hits it normally couldn’t and fire back with a Mirror Coat.
**Eject Pack**: Against teams with multiple Pokemon that resist its STAB attacks, Tatsugiri can utilize Eject Pack to use a Draco Meteor to both deal big damage and allow it to pivot to a teammate for free.
Tera
========
Tatsugiri is a somewhat usable Tera Captain because it does appreciate any additional coverage, but more often than not, players should have stronger options. In the case where Tatsugiri is the only option, Tera Fire and Ground can grant Tatsugiri strong coverage against Steel-types with Tera Blast while taking advantage of Storm Drain, Tera Poison and Steel can help it hit Fairy-types, and Tera Electric and Grass do meaningful damage to Water-types.
Draft Strategy
========
Tatsugiri is primarily drafted late as a special wallbreaker and Rapid Spin user with decent typing and a Water immunity. It fits on specific teams lacking in the tools it can provide to teams on a budget. As it offers little else other than some small amount of utility, it should only be considered for well-built teams that already have physical offense, entry hazards, and type coverage locked in.
Checks and Counters
========
**Faster Foes**: Tatsugiri's middling Speed tier and unremarkable bulk leave it being outsped and threatened by a large portion of the metagame, at least before it can get a Speed boost from Rapid Spin.
**Physical Attackers**: Tatsugiri's low HP and Defense means even neutral STAB moves from foes like Urshifu-S, Landorus-T, and Galarian Zapdos can OHKO it without boosting items.
**Bulky Water- and Dragon-resistant Pokemon**: Empoleon, Primarina, and Azumarill are a few examples of bulkier Pokemon that resist or are immune to Tatsugiri’s STAB attacks and aren’t bothered by its meager coverage.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/xand.614716/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
