[OVERVIEW]
Tentacruel finds its niche as a utility Pokemon on rain teams. Thanks to its good typing, decent stats, and fantastic ability in Rain Dish, Tentacruel is nearly impossible to KO in rain and can check the Pokemon it is supposed to throughout long matches while providing Rapid Spin support and spreading status. Tentacruel's access to Rapid Spin allows it to support Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock such as Tornadus, Thundurus-T, and Volcarona as well as any grounded Pokemon that gets worn down quickly by Spikes. In addition, it does not even have to spin to remove Toxic Spikes. However, Tentacruel's reliance on Black Sludge and Rain Dish for recovery leaves it vulnerable to residual damage, as a burn from Keldeo's Scald or Knock Off from Ferrothorn will leave it far more easy to wear down with entry hazards and U-turn. In addition, when sand is up, Tentacruel has a net recovery of zero per turn. It also is very reliant on Scald to threaten switch-ins and is very passive without it. However, on the right team, Tentacruel's support capabilities make it a great choice.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Scald
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Toxic / Toxic Spikes / Substitute
move 4: Protect
item: Black Sludge
ability: Rain Dish
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 72 Def / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is Tentacruel's most spammable move, as it has decent power under rain and can cause problems for switch-ins that would otherwise come in easily on Tentacruel, such as Latios, and make them much easier to deal with thanks to burn damage. It notably allows Tentacruel to burn and beat Ferrothorn and Amoonguss, which otherwise cause many problems for it. Rapid Spin allows Tentacruel to provide support for entry hazard-weak teammates and is used well by Tentacruel thanks to its good bulk. Protect allows Tentacruel to scout the move of opposing Choice item users and grants Tentacruel a free turn of recovery, which adds up fast due to the combination of Black Sludge and Rain Dish. Toxic is the best move in the last slot, as it allows Tentacruel to take down Jellicent so it can spin reliably and also cripples Pokemon that resist Scald, including but not limited to Keldeo, Latios, and Rotom-W. Toxic Spikes is an option on Tentacruel to weaken any Pokemon that comes in until they are removed and is particularly useful for winning the weather war against Tyranitar or the occasional Ninetales. It is also better against Natural Cure users such as Starmie, Celebi, and Chansey, as they will just get poisoned again even after switching out to remove status. However, if Jellicent switches in on one layer of Toxic Spikes and as a result does not get badly poisoned, Tentacruel will not be able to break through it by itself. Substitute is an option to block status and Leech Seed, allowing Tentacruel to beat Ferrothorn more reliably and PP stall certain Pokemon in a pinch in combination with Protect. Substitute also allows Tentacruel to beat other Tentacruel by spamming Scald to try to burn them. It can also let Tentacruel force out bulky Starmie, though Tentacruel does not necessarily win, force out Life Orb stall offensive Starmie, and fire off a free Scald against a faster foe if Tentacruel sets up on the switch. In addition, it can use it in attempts to land a Scald burn on Ferrothorn, making it much less likely to break its Substitutes. It also notably beats Amoonguss, which can not break Tentacruel's Substitutes and is then susceptible to being burned by Scald if it stays in. However, Substitute means Tentacruel can not harm Water-immune Pokemon and also makes it totally useless against a healthy Jellicent.
Set Details
========
The given Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Tentacruel to outspeed every Pokemon up to Jolly Landorus-T, including all Mamoswine and all non-Choice Scarf Excadrill. EV spreads with less Speed can be run if you feel safe towards Landorus-T and Excadrill. 96 Speed EVs and a Timid nature are enough to outrun Jolly Mamoswine and all Dragonite, allowing Tentacruel to use Toxic it before it can use Substitute. The 72 remaining EVs can go in either Defense or Special Defense, which is mostly up to preference. Placing them in Defense allows Tentacruel to take hits slightly better from Pokemon such as Scizor and Ferrothorn, but placing them in Special Defense improves damage rolls against Latios and Choice Specs Keldeo.
Usage Tips
========
Try to bring Tentacruel in against Pokemon such as Keldeo or other defensive Pokemon such as Politoed, Skarmory, specially defensive Heatran, and burned Ferrothorn and spin to clear entry hazards. Be wary of Ferrothorn, however, as Knock Off can hurt Tentacruel's longevity, and it can deal a good chunk to Tentacruel with Power Whip if it does not fear Scald burns. In addition, switching into Politoed is not optimal if it can be avoided, as Scald burns can severely inhibit Tentacruel's ability to spin and check the Pokemon it needs to, and Politoed can also use Refresh to remove any status you afflict upon it. If entry hazards are not an immediately pressing issue and the opponent has Dragon-types or a Jellicent, feel free to use Toxic in order to cripple them as they switch in. If your opponent's main switch-in to Tentacruel is Ferrothorn, use Scald often to chip it down and potentially burn it. Burning Ferrothorn is doubly beneficial for Tentacruel, as it means that Ferrothorn really cannot do much damage back and reduces Tentacruel's future burden of clearing entry hazards. Depending on the matchup and situation, you may be forced to be a bit more cavalier with Tentacruel. For example, if Stealth Rock and Spikes are present on your side of the field, spinning may be more of a pressing issue than if there is only Stealth Rock up, unless you have multiple Stealth Rock-weak Pokemon such as Thundurus-T, Tornadus, Gyarados, Kyurem-B, and Volcarona.
Team Options
========
Politoed is the best partner for Tentacruel, as it provides rain support for Tentacruel's Scald and Rain Dish. In return, Tentacruel can remove entry hazards for Politoed, as it is vulnerable to all three types. Ferrothorn has excellent type synergy with Tentacruel and can provide support for your team by means of entry hazards. Also, it can provide counterplay against Reuniclus in the form of Worry Seed if you inflict Toxic on it. Thundurus-T, Tornadus, and Volcarona are all great offensive Pokemon on rain teams and are all vulnerable to Stealth Rock, as well as Spikes and Toxic Spikes in Volcarona's case. Thundurus-T also threatens Jellicent, which is one of Tentacruel's biggest roadblocks when attempting to spin. Breloom is a good partner for Tentacruel, as it can threaten Jellicent, Tyranitar, and Ferrothorn, all of which are problems for rain teams in general and Pokemon Tentacruel cannot beat unless they are inflicted with status on the switch. Jirachi makes a good partner because it counters Reuniclus and it can switch into Latios, which is otherwise a huge threat to Tentacruel. Mamoswine is a good teammate for Tentacruel as well, as it can pick off Thundurus-T, Tornadus, Dragonite, Latios, and Garchomp with Ice Shard, all of which pose a large threat to Tentacruel. In return, Tentacruel's Rapid Spin support will keep Mamoswine from being worn down too quickly as a result of entry hazard and Life Orb damage.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sludge Bomb is an option for Tentacruel's last slot to 2HKO Breloom and deal a decent amount to Celebi, but it does not hit much else and does not provide as much utility against bulkier teams. It also hits Latios for a reasonable amount of damage and has the chance to poison it. Similarly, Ice Beam is an option to hit Dragon-types such as Latios on the switch and deal heavy damage to Dragonite if it tries to set up, but again it does not offer as much utility as Tentacruel's other moves. Venoshock is another option that allows Tentacruel to OHKO most Breloom but lacks targets outside of it. Finally, Knock Off is an option to remove items such as Leftovers on the opposing Pokemon, leaving them more vulnerable to chip damage, but it leaves Tentacruel unable to defeat Jellicent and does not limit the longevity of every Pokemon that comes on the field as much as Toxic does. Also, an offensive set could be used consisting of Scald or Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Giga Drain, and Rapid Spin to pick off unsuspecting Water-types such as Gastrodon and Seismitoad and beat Substitute + Calm Mind Keldeo, which other Tentacruel cannot, but it lacks consistency and cannot switch into most Keldeo reliably. Also, offensive sets are usually outclassed by Starmie.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Jellicent**: Jellicent is easily the best Ghost-type in OU and therefore a huge roadblock in terms of spinning. It is also immune to Scald thanks to Water Absorb. Though Tentacruel can beat it if it manages to land a Toxic, if Jellicent switches in on a single layer of Toxic Spikes and as a result does not get badly poisoned, Tentacruel will not be able to get past it.
**Sand**: Sand both deactivates Rain Dish and cancels out Leftovers recovery, making Tentacruel far more vulnerable to the entry hazards it has to switch in on and remove. As Rain Dish is one of the things that make Tentacruel capable of doing its job, this is of paramount importance. In addition, Tyranitar can threaten Tentacruel with Crunch and Pursuit to wear it down quickly in conjunction with sand. However, Tyranitar and Hippowdon cannot switch in easily, as they fear a burn from Scald while also taking chip damage from it and can be annoyed by a combination of Toxic and Protect.
**Water-types**: Though they cannot prevent Tentacruel from using Rapid Spin, Water-types such as Rotom-W, Gastrodon, and Starmie can come in on Tentacruel relatively safely and threaten it back with their move of choice or potentially burn it, allowing them to beat Tentacruel in a one-on-one situation.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Latios and Hydreigon can come in against Tentacruel with little fear and proceed to fire off a free Draco Meteor. Similarly, Garchomp can do the same but with an Earthquake or Outrage and requires a Lum Berry to avoid a Scald burn or Toxic poison. Dragonite and Salamence can also come in against Tentacruel and set up for free if they have a Lum Berry, making them serious threats as well.
**Ferrothorn**: Ferrothorn takes very little damage from Tentacruel's Scald and is immune to Toxic. It can also hit back at Tentacruel, removing its Black Sludge with Knock Off and significantly hampering its longevity, especially if sand is active. In addition, it can hit Tentacruel hard with Power Whip and set entry hazards in Tentacruel's face. However, Ferrothorn is not a primary switch-in to Tentacruel, as a burn from Scald is absolutely catastrophic for it, allowing Tentacruel to sit on it as long as rain is up. It also wears Ferrothorn down very quickly for Tentacruel's teammates and causes Ferrothorn to deal significantly less damage. In addition, Substitute variants of Tentacruel can stall out Power Whip's PP and can try to land a Scald burn in the case Power Whip misses against its Substitute.
**Psychic-types**: Reuniclus does not care about anything that Tentacruel can throw at it and can proceed to set up with Calm Mind or threaten Tentacruel immediately with Psychic or Psyshock. Additionally, while it can not switch in, Alakazam can immediately threaten Tentacruel. Starmie is also capable of threatening Tentacruel immediately with Psyshock and Thunder.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Breloom and Celebi do not mind most things Tentacruel can throw at them and can proceed to set up, though they must be wary of the occasional Venoshock or Sludge Bomb. Amoonguss can also wall Tentacruel easily and paralyze it with Stun Spore and chip it with Giga Drain if sand is up or Tentacruel is burned. It also absorbs Toxic Spikes.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ununhexium, 214836]]
- Quality checked by: [[Caetano93, 394051], [Finchinator, 114198]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Estronic, 240732]]
Tentacruel finds its niche as a utility Pokemon on rain teams. Thanks to its good typing, decent stats, and fantastic ability in Rain Dish, Tentacruel is nearly impossible to KO in rain and can check the Pokemon it is supposed to throughout long matches while providing Rapid Spin support and spreading status. Tentacruel's access to Rapid Spin allows it to support Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock such as Tornadus, Thundurus-T, and Volcarona as well as any grounded Pokemon that gets worn down quickly by Spikes. In addition, it does not even have to spin to remove Toxic Spikes. However, Tentacruel's reliance on Black Sludge and Rain Dish for recovery leaves it vulnerable to residual damage, as a burn from Keldeo's Scald or Knock Off from Ferrothorn will leave it far more easy to wear down with entry hazards and U-turn. In addition, when sand is up, Tentacruel has a net recovery of zero per turn. It also is very reliant on Scald to threaten switch-ins and is very passive without it. However, on the right team, Tentacruel's support capabilities make it a great choice.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Scald
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Toxic / Toxic Spikes / Substitute
move 4: Protect
item: Black Sludge
ability: Rain Dish
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 72 Def / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is Tentacruel's most spammable move, as it has decent power under rain and can cause problems for switch-ins that would otherwise come in easily on Tentacruel, such as Latios, and make them much easier to deal with thanks to burn damage. It notably allows Tentacruel to burn and beat Ferrothorn and Amoonguss, which otherwise cause many problems for it. Rapid Spin allows Tentacruel to provide support for entry hazard-weak teammates and is used well by Tentacruel thanks to its good bulk. Protect allows Tentacruel to scout the move of opposing Choice item users and grants Tentacruel a free turn of recovery, which adds up fast due to the combination of Black Sludge and Rain Dish. Toxic is the best move in the last slot, as it allows Tentacruel to take down Jellicent so it can spin reliably and also cripples Pokemon that resist Scald, including but not limited to Keldeo, Latios, and Rotom-W. Toxic Spikes is an option on Tentacruel to weaken any Pokemon that comes in until they are removed and is particularly useful for winning the weather war against Tyranitar or the occasional Ninetales. It is also better against Natural Cure users such as Starmie, Celebi, and Chansey, as they will just get poisoned again even after switching out to remove status. However, if Jellicent switches in on one layer of Toxic Spikes and as a result does not get badly poisoned, Tentacruel will not be able to break through it by itself. Substitute is an option to block status and Leech Seed, allowing Tentacruel to beat Ferrothorn more reliably and PP stall certain Pokemon in a pinch in combination with Protect. Substitute also allows Tentacruel to beat other Tentacruel by spamming Scald to try to burn them. It can also let Tentacruel force out bulky Starmie, though Tentacruel does not necessarily win, force out Life Orb stall offensive Starmie, and fire off a free Scald against a faster foe if Tentacruel sets up on the switch. In addition, it can use it in attempts to land a Scald burn on Ferrothorn, making it much less likely to break its Substitutes. It also notably beats Amoonguss, which can not break Tentacruel's Substitutes and is then susceptible to being burned by Scald if it stays in. However, Substitute means Tentacruel can not harm Water-immune Pokemon and also makes it totally useless against a healthy Jellicent.
Set Details
========
The given Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Tentacruel to outspeed every Pokemon up to Jolly Landorus-T, including all Mamoswine and all non-Choice Scarf Excadrill. EV spreads with less Speed can be run if you feel safe towards Landorus-T and Excadrill. 96 Speed EVs and a Timid nature are enough to outrun Jolly Mamoswine and all Dragonite, allowing Tentacruel to use Toxic it before it can use Substitute. The 72 remaining EVs can go in either Defense or Special Defense, which is mostly up to preference. Placing them in Defense allows Tentacruel to take hits slightly better from Pokemon such as Scizor and Ferrothorn, but placing them in Special Defense improves damage rolls against Latios and Choice Specs Keldeo.
Usage Tips
========
Try to bring Tentacruel in against Pokemon such as Keldeo or other defensive Pokemon such as Politoed, Skarmory, specially defensive Heatran, and burned Ferrothorn and spin to clear entry hazards. Be wary of Ferrothorn, however, as Knock Off can hurt Tentacruel's longevity, and it can deal a good chunk to Tentacruel with Power Whip if it does not fear Scald burns. In addition, switching into Politoed is not optimal if it can be avoided, as Scald burns can severely inhibit Tentacruel's ability to spin and check the Pokemon it needs to, and Politoed can also use Refresh to remove any status you afflict upon it. If entry hazards are not an immediately pressing issue and the opponent has Dragon-types or a Jellicent, feel free to use Toxic in order to cripple them as they switch in. If your opponent's main switch-in to Tentacruel is Ferrothorn, use Scald often to chip it down and potentially burn it. Burning Ferrothorn is doubly beneficial for Tentacruel, as it means that Ferrothorn really cannot do much damage back and reduces Tentacruel's future burden of clearing entry hazards. Depending on the matchup and situation, you may be forced to be a bit more cavalier with Tentacruel. For example, if Stealth Rock and Spikes are present on your side of the field, spinning may be more of a pressing issue than if there is only Stealth Rock up, unless you have multiple Stealth Rock-weak Pokemon such as Thundurus-T, Tornadus, Gyarados, Kyurem-B, and Volcarona.
Team Options
========
Politoed is the best partner for Tentacruel, as it provides rain support for Tentacruel's Scald and Rain Dish. In return, Tentacruel can remove entry hazards for Politoed, as it is vulnerable to all three types. Ferrothorn has excellent type synergy with Tentacruel and can provide support for your team by means of entry hazards. Also, it can provide counterplay against Reuniclus in the form of Worry Seed if you inflict Toxic on it. Thundurus-T, Tornadus, and Volcarona are all great offensive Pokemon on rain teams and are all vulnerable to Stealth Rock, as well as Spikes and Toxic Spikes in Volcarona's case. Thundurus-T also threatens Jellicent, which is one of Tentacruel's biggest roadblocks when attempting to spin. Breloom is a good partner for Tentacruel, as it can threaten Jellicent, Tyranitar, and Ferrothorn, all of which are problems for rain teams in general and Pokemon Tentacruel cannot beat unless they are inflicted with status on the switch. Jirachi makes a good partner because it counters Reuniclus and it can switch into Latios, which is otherwise a huge threat to Tentacruel. Mamoswine is a good teammate for Tentacruel as well, as it can pick off Thundurus-T, Tornadus, Dragonite, Latios, and Garchomp with Ice Shard, all of which pose a large threat to Tentacruel. In return, Tentacruel's Rapid Spin support will keep Mamoswine from being worn down too quickly as a result of entry hazard and Life Orb damage.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sludge Bomb is an option for Tentacruel's last slot to 2HKO Breloom and deal a decent amount to Celebi, but it does not hit much else and does not provide as much utility against bulkier teams. It also hits Latios for a reasonable amount of damage and has the chance to poison it. Similarly, Ice Beam is an option to hit Dragon-types such as Latios on the switch and deal heavy damage to Dragonite if it tries to set up, but again it does not offer as much utility as Tentacruel's other moves. Venoshock is another option that allows Tentacruel to OHKO most Breloom but lacks targets outside of it. Finally, Knock Off is an option to remove items such as Leftovers on the opposing Pokemon, leaving them more vulnerable to chip damage, but it leaves Tentacruel unable to defeat Jellicent and does not limit the longevity of every Pokemon that comes on the field as much as Toxic does. Also, an offensive set could be used consisting of Scald or Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Giga Drain, and Rapid Spin to pick off unsuspecting Water-types such as Gastrodon and Seismitoad and beat Substitute + Calm Mind Keldeo, which other Tentacruel cannot, but it lacks consistency and cannot switch into most Keldeo reliably. Also, offensive sets are usually outclassed by Starmie.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Jellicent**: Jellicent is easily the best Ghost-type in OU and therefore a huge roadblock in terms of spinning. It is also immune to Scald thanks to Water Absorb. Though Tentacruel can beat it if it manages to land a Toxic, if Jellicent switches in on a single layer of Toxic Spikes and as a result does not get badly poisoned, Tentacruel will not be able to get past it.
**Sand**: Sand both deactivates Rain Dish and cancels out Leftovers recovery, making Tentacruel far more vulnerable to the entry hazards it has to switch in on and remove. As Rain Dish is one of the things that make Tentacruel capable of doing its job, this is of paramount importance. In addition, Tyranitar can threaten Tentacruel with Crunch and Pursuit to wear it down quickly in conjunction with sand. However, Tyranitar and Hippowdon cannot switch in easily, as they fear a burn from Scald while also taking chip damage from it and can be annoyed by a combination of Toxic and Protect.
**Water-types**: Though they cannot prevent Tentacruel from using Rapid Spin, Water-types such as Rotom-W, Gastrodon, and Starmie can come in on Tentacruel relatively safely and threaten it back with their move of choice or potentially burn it, allowing them to beat Tentacruel in a one-on-one situation.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Latios and Hydreigon can come in against Tentacruel with little fear and proceed to fire off a free Draco Meteor. Similarly, Garchomp can do the same but with an Earthquake or Outrage and requires a Lum Berry to avoid a Scald burn or Toxic poison. Dragonite and Salamence can also come in against Tentacruel and set up for free if they have a Lum Berry, making them serious threats as well.
**Ferrothorn**: Ferrothorn takes very little damage from Tentacruel's Scald and is immune to Toxic. It can also hit back at Tentacruel, removing its Black Sludge with Knock Off and significantly hampering its longevity, especially if sand is active. In addition, it can hit Tentacruel hard with Power Whip and set entry hazards in Tentacruel's face. However, Ferrothorn is not a primary switch-in to Tentacruel, as a burn from Scald is absolutely catastrophic for it, allowing Tentacruel to sit on it as long as rain is up. It also wears Ferrothorn down very quickly for Tentacruel's teammates and causes Ferrothorn to deal significantly less damage. In addition, Substitute variants of Tentacruel can stall out Power Whip's PP and can try to land a Scald burn in the case Power Whip misses against its Substitute.
**Psychic-types**: Reuniclus does not care about anything that Tentacruel can throw at it and can proceed to set up with Calm Mind or threaten Tentacruel immediately with Psychic or Psyshock. Additionally, while it can not switch in, Alakazam can immediately threaten Tentacruel. Starmie is also capable of threatening Tentacruel immediately with Psyshock and Thunder.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Breloom and Celebi do not mind most things Tentacruel can throw at them and can proceed to set up, though they must be wary of the occasional Venoshock or Sludge Bomb. Amoonguss can also wall Tentacruel easily and paralyze it with Stun Spore and chip it with Giga Drain if sand is up or Tentacruel is burned. It also absorbs Toxic Spikes.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ununhexium, 214836]]
- Quality checked by: [[Caetano93, 394051], [Finchinator, 114198]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Estronic, 240732]]
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