QC: dodmen / Hogg / Pearl
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack / Haund
[OVERVIEW]
Tentacruel is the most reliable spinner in the tier, as it can absorb Toxic Spikes thanks to its secondary Poison typing and is neutral to Stealth Rock; however, it fails to be as consistent against Spikes-stacking teams, as it takes more damage from Spikes. Its somewhat unique typing makes it a reliable check to Pokemon such as Cobalion, Infernape, and Doublade. Tentacruel's decent special bulk means that, even uninvested, it is able to take most special attacks with ease. It can also get past potential spinblockers by hitting Chandelure super effectively with its Water-type STAB moves or crippling Doublade and Sableye by burning them with Scald. Tentacruel also has an excellent Speed stat and coverage to run an effective offensive set that breaks through many of its counters, and its useful Fairy resistance allows it to fit more easily on certain teams that may be weak to Florges or Sylveon. However, Tentacruel's below average 80 / 65 physical bulk means that powerful physical attackers can break through it more easily, even with resisted attacks; most notably, it prevents it from being a reliable Fire-type check despite being a Water-type, since Pokemon such as Entei and Swords Dance Infernape can power through and wear it down with burns in the former's case.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Scald
move 3: Toxic Spikes
move 4: Haze / Acid Spray
item: Black Sludge
ability: Liquid Ooze
nature: Bold
evs: 240 HP / 244 Def / 24 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rapid Spin allows Tentacruel to get rid of entry hazards. Scald gives Tentacruel a nice STAB move that allows it to cripple physical attackers trying to take advantage of its lower defensive stat. Toxic Spikes allows Tentacruel to support the team by putting the foe on a timer. Haze gives Tentacruel a way to check setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Florges and Swords Dance Toxicroak with ease. Acid Spray can be used instead to force switches thanks to the Special Defense drops and rack up Toxic damage in conjunction with Toxic Spikes. It also gives Tentacruel a more reliable way to beat Sableye.
Set Details
========
Black Sludge gives Tentacruel a form of passive recovery. 24 Speed EVs allow Tentacruel to outspeed maximum Speed Adamant Honchkrow, while the remaining EVs are dumped into HP and Defense to allow Tentacruel to take resisted hits better. A Bold nature further bolsters Tentacruel's less-than-stellar Defense stat. Liquid Ooze allows Tentacruel to check certain Grass-types, such as Celebi lacking a Psychic STAB move more easily as well as punish Pokemon trying to drain its HP such as Toxicroak. Other Speed benchmarks Tentacruel can hit, with a Timid nature, are 96 Speed EVs to outspeed Mamoswine and Chandelure, 136 EVs to outspeed Nidoking and Heracross, and 148 to outspeed Adamant Entei. It is possible to run a set with an EV spread of 248 HP / 132 Def / 104 SpD / 24 Spe and a Calm nature to more reliably take on certain threats on stall and slower balanced teams such as SubCM Chandelure while making use of Tentacruel's decent special bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Tentacruel is best used on more balanced or defensive teams, as its lack of power and bulk means it can't hit Pokemon hard or tank hits as well as it wants to. Scald is Tentacruel's way of dealing damage, but its mediocre Special Attack stat prevents it from OHKOing even targets that are hit super effectively such as Krookodile and Mamoswine. Be careful when switching it in on powerful physical attackers like Entei, as even resisted hits can deal a lot of damage to it.
Team Options
========
Steel-types such as Escavalier and Doublade are really good partners for Tentacruel, as they provide some defensive synergy, making for a very potent and balanced core. Clerics such as Florges and Sylveon can not only get rid of status such as burns, which Tentacruel hates, but they can also take care of most Fighting-types that it can't while also providing Tentacruel with Wish support, allowing it to stick around throughout the match. Dark-types such as Hydreigon and Krookodile can be very effective partners for Tentacruel, as they provide amazing defensive synergy by granting a Psychic immunity and are able to break through bulky Psychic-types that Tentacruel has trouble with such as Cresselia and Reuniclus. Ground-types such as Mamoswine and Gligar provide an Electric immunity and appreciate Tentacruel's ability to wear down bulkier Pokemon with Toxic Spikes. Swampert is a really nice option, as it can provide Stealth Rock support, and it is a better Fire-type check despite sharing a Water typing with Tentacruel. Sableye can reliably break stall with Taunt and spinblock for Tentacruel, allowing both of them to pressure the opponent. Snorlax is another good partner for Tentacruel, as it can hard check Entei without stacking weaknesses with Tentacruel. Tentacruel also checks Infernape and Cobalion for Snorlax while providing Toxic Spikes. Setup sweepers, such as Swords Dance Cobalion and Calm Mind Cresselia, appreciate the Toxic Spikes support, as it allows them to break past bulky Pokemon they otherwise couldn't such as Suicune.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Rapid Spin / Toxic Spikes
item: Black Sludge / Expert Belt
ability: Clear Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hydro Pump allows Tentacruel to hit as hard as possible against Fire-types such as Entei and Chandelure. Sludge Bomb gives Tentacruel a powerful STAB move for opposing Grass- and Fairy-types such as Celebi, Shaymin, and Sylveon. It also allows Tentacruel to hit Water-types fairly hard while threatening them with a chance to poison. Ice Beam is Tentacruel's best coverage move, as it hits opposing Dragon-types such as Hydreigon and Salamence super effectively. Rapid Spin allows Tentacruel to support the team by getting rid of entry hazards. Toxic Spikes can be used if the team itself doesn't require entry hazard control to break bulkier teams. Acid Spray is another option over Sludge Bomb to allow Tentacruel to force out Calm Mind Florges and Sylveon, as Sludge Bomb will do less damage over time. It also gives Tentacruel a reliable way of breaking Sableye. Dazzling Gleam is another option that, when coupled with Expert Belt, can 2HKO Sableye and OHKO Hydreigon.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs alongside a Timid nature allow Tentacruel to make use of its base 100 Speed stat to outspeed threats that could otherwise revenge kill it such as Krookodile and Hydreigon while also keeping up with other positive-natured base 100s such as Salamence. Black Sludge allows Tentacruel to keep its passive recovery and tank resisted hits. Expert Belt, on the other hand, allows Tentacruel to deal more damage to targets that are hit super effectively. Shuca Berry can also provide Tentacruel the ability to tank one Ground-type attack and fire off a powerful Hydro Pump. Clear Body allows Tentacruel to be unaffected by stat drops from Sticky Web or Florges's Moonblast.
Usage Tips
========
Tentacruel should be used on more offensive teams that are in need of a Pokemon to remove entry hazards. Tentacruel should only be switching into resisted or neutral special hits, as any strong physical hit will put a major dent into it. Tentacruel should also be more careful when getting rid of entry hazards, as it lacks bulk investment, so it can't stay in the match for long.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that dislike entry hazards such as Salamence, Sylveon, and Mega Aerodactyl appreciate Tentacruel's ability to get rid of Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes while still keeping up the offensive pressure. On the other hand, these same offensive Pokemon also appreciate Toxic Spikes support to break past bulky Pokemon such as Swampert and Porygon2. Stealth Rock users such as Metagross, Cobalion, and Krookodile are nice additions, as Tentacruel can beat Pokemon that otherwise threaten them such as opposing Krookodile, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, and Mamoswine. Dark-types such as Hydreigon and Mega Absol can take care of Psychic-types for Tentacruel, while Tentacruel can use its Poison-type STAB moves to deal with Fairies. Ground-types such as Mamoswine provide a more reliable answer to Fire-types while sporting an Electric immunity. Mega Swampert is also an option, as it appreciates Tentacruel's ability to get rid of hazards, and Tentacruel can take advantage of the rain Mega Swampert sets if necessary.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Knock Off allows Tentacruel to get rid of the foe's item. Giga Drain allows Tentacruel to have some form of recovery on the offensive set outside of Black Sludge while netting super effective coverage on opposing Water-types; however, a non-STAB Grass-type move is doing little to no damage to even bulky super effective targets. Swords Dance is a weird option that can work due to sheer surprise factor, but Tentacruel is normally outclassed as a Swords Dance user by Crawdaunt and Feraligatr except for the fact that it has a better Speed tier.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Psychic-types**: Reuniclus has Magic Guard to prevent them from being whittled down by status and can OHKO Tentacruel with their STAB moves. Gardevoir can also threaten Tentacruel despite being a Fairy-type with its Psychic-type STAB moves.
**Scald Switch-ins**: Heliolisk and Toxicroak both threaten Tentacruel, as they are immune to Scald. Heliolisk can also hit Tentacruel super effectively with its Electric-type STAB moves.
**Guts Users**: Heracross and Conkeldurr love being burned by Scald or poisoned by Toxic Spikes, as it boosts their Attack and allows them to overpower Tentacruel despite its resistance to their STAB moves.
**Powerful Physical Attackers**: Choice Band Entei can 3HKO even defensive Tentacruel with Sacred Fire, crippling Tentacruel with a burn, while Mega Aerodactyl 2HKOes with Earthquake. Krookodile and Mamoswine can also outspeed and OHKO defensive Tentacruel, but offensive Tentacruel takes on all of these Pokemon bar Mega Aerodactyl.
**Bulky Water-types**: Suicune and Milotic can beat Tentacruel one-on-one with Scald and recover off any damage from Tentacruel's Scald or take advantage of Scald's burn in Milotic's case. Slowking is also one of the most reliable answers to Tentacruel, as it has the special bulk to tank Scalds, takes little from an uninvested Knock Off, and has Regenerator + Slack Off to keep itself healthy.
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack / Haund
[OVERVIEW]
Tentacruel is the most reliable spinner in the tier, as it can absorb Toxic Spikes thanks to its secondary Poison typing and is neutral to Stealth Rock; however, it fails to be as consistent against Spikes-stacking teams, as it takes more damage from Spikes. Its somewhat unique typing makes it a reliable check to Pokemon such as Cobalion, Infernape, and Doublade. Tentacruel's decent special bulk means that, even uninvested, it is able to take most special attacks with ease. It can also get past potential spinblockers by hitting Chandelure super effectively with its Water-type STAB moves or crippling Doublade and Sableye by burning them with Scald. Tentacruel also has an excellent Speed stat and coverage to run an effective offensive set that breaks through many of its counters, and its useful Fairy resistance allows it to fit more easily on certain teams that may be weak to Florges or Sylveon. However, Tentacruel's below average 80 / 65 physical bulk means that powerful physical attackers can break through it more easily, even with resisted attacks; most notably, it prevents it from being a reliable Fire-type check despite being a Water-type, since Pokemon such as Entei and Swords Dance Infernape can power through and wear it down with burns in the former's case.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Scald
move 3: Toxic Spikes
move 4: Haze / Acid Spray
item: Black Sludge
ability: Liquid Ooze
nature: Bold
evs: 240 HP / 244 Def / 24 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rapid Spin allows Tentacruel to get rid of entry hazards. Scald gives Tentacruel a nice STAB move that allows it to cripple physical attackers trying to take advantage of its lower defensive stat. Toxic Spikes allows Tentacruel to support the team by putting the foe on a timer. Haze gives Tentacruel a way to check setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Florges and Swords Dance Toxicroak with ease. Acid Spray can be used instead to force switches thanks to the Special Defense drops and rack up Toxic damage in conjunction with Toxic Spikes. It also gives Tentacruel a more reliable way to beat Sableye.
Set Details
========
Black Sludge gives Tentacruel a form of passive recovery. 24 Speed EVs allow Tentacruel to outspeed maximum Speed Adamant Honchkrow, while the remaining EVs are dumped into HP and Defense to allow Tentacruel to take resisted hits better. A Bold nature further bolsters Tentacruel's less-than-stellar Defense stat. Liquid Ooze allows Tentacruel to check certain Grass-types, such as Celebi lacking a Psychic STAB move more easily as well as punish Pokemon trying to drain its HP such as Toxicroak. Other Speed benchmarks Tentacruel can hit, with a Timid nature, are 96 Speed EVs to outspeed Mamoswine and Chandelure, 136 EVs to outspeed Nidoking and Heracross, and 148 to outspeed Adamant Entei. It is possible to run a set with an EV spread of 248 HP / 132 Def / 104 SpD / 24 Spe and a Calm nature to more reliably take on certain threats on stall and slower balanced teams such as SubCM Chandelure while making use of Tentacruel's decent special bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Tentacruel is best used on more balanced or defensive teams, as its lack of power and bulk means it can't hit Pokemon hard or tank hits as well as it wants to. Scald is Tentacruel's way of dealing damage, but its mediocre Special Attack stat prevents it from OHKOing even targets that are hit super effectively such as Krookodile and Mamoswine. Be careful when switching it in on powerful physical attackers like Entei, as even resisted hits can deal a lot of damage to it.
Team Options
========
Steel-types such as Escavalier and Doublade are really good partners for Tentacruel, as they provide some defensive synergy, making for a very potent and balanced core. Clerics such as Florges and Sylveon can not only get rid of status such as burns, which Tentacruel hates, but they can also take care of most Fighting-types that it can't while also providing Tentacruel with Wish support, allowing it to stick around throughout the match. Dark-types such as Hydreigon and Krookodile can be very effective partners for Tentacruel, as they provide amazing defensive synergy by granting a Psychic immunity and are able to break through bulky Psychic-types that Tentacruel has trouble with such as Cresselia and Reuniclus. Ground-types such as Mamoswine and Gligar provide an Electric immunity and appreciate Tentacruel's ability to wear down bulkier Pokemon with Toxic Spikes. Swampert is a really nice option, as it can provide Stealth Rock support, and it is a better Fire-type check despite sharing a Water typing with Tentacruel. Sableye can reliably break stall with Taunt and spinblock for Tentacruel, allowing both of them to pressure the opponent. Snorlax is another good partner for Tentacruel, as it can hard check Entei without stacking weaknesses with Tentacruel. Tentacruel also checks Infernape and Cobalion for Snorlax while providing Toxic Spikes. Setup sweepers, such as Swords Dance Cobalion and Calm Mind Cresselia, appreciate the Toxic Spikes support, as it allows them to break past bulky Pokemon they otherwise couldn't such as Suicune.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Rapid Spin / Toxic Spikes
item: Black Sludge / Expert Belt
ability: Clear Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hydro Pump allows Tentacruel to hit as hard as possible against Fire-types such as Entei and Chandelure. Sludge Bomb gives Tentacruel a powerful STAB move for opposing Grass- and Fairy-types such as Celebi, Shaymin, and Sylveon. It also allows Tentacruel to hit Water-types fairly hard while threatening them with a chance to poison. Ice Beam is Tentacruel's best coverage move, as it hits opposing Dragon-types such as Hydreigon and Salamence super effectively. Rapid Spin allows Tentacruel to support the team by getting rid of entry hazards. Toxic Spikes can be used if the team itself doesn't require entry hazard control to break bulkier teams. Acid Spray is another option over Sludge Bomb to allow Tentacruel to force out Calm Mind Florges and Sylveon, as Sludge Bomb will do less damage over time. It also gives Tentacruel a reliable way of breaking Sableye. Dazzling Gleam is another option that, when coupled with Expert Belt, can 2HKO Sableye and OHKO Hydreigon.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs alongside a Timid nature allow Tentacruel to make use of its base 100 Speed stat to outspeed threats that could otherwise revenge kill it such as Krookodile and Hydreigon while also keeping up with other positive-natured base 100s such as Salamence. Black Sludge allows Tentacruel to keep its passive recovery and tank resisted hits. Expert Belt, on the other hand, allows Tentacruel to deal more damage to targets that are hit super effectively. Shuca Berry can also provide Tentacruel the ability to tank one Ground-type attack and fire off a powerful Hydro Pump. Clear Body allows Tentacruel to be unaffected by stat drops from Sticky Web or Florges's Moonblast.
Usage Tips
========
Tentacruel should be used on more offensive teams that are in need of a Pokemon to remove entry hazards. Tentacruel should only be switching into resisted or neutral special hits, as any strong physical hit will put a major dent into it. Tentacruel should also be more careful when getting rid of entry hazards, as it lacks bulk investment, so it can't stay in the match for long.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that dislike entry hazards such as Salamence, Sylveon, and Mega Aerodactyl appreciate Tentacruel's ability to get rid of Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes while still keeping up the offensive pressure. On the other hand, these same offensive Pokemon also appreciate Toxic Spikes support to break past bulky Pokemon such as Swampert and Porygon2. Stealth Rock users such as Metagross, Cobalion, and Krookodile are nice additions, as Tentacruel can beat Pokemon that otherwise threaten them such as opposing Krookodile, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, and Mamoswine. Dark-types such as Hydreigon and Mega Absol can take care of Psychic-types for Tentacruel, while Tentacruel can use its Poison-type STAB moves to deal with Fairies. Ground-types such as Mamoswine provide a more reliable answer to Fire-types while sporting an Electric immunity. Mega Swampert is also an option, as it appreciates Tentacruel's ability to get rid of hazards, and Tentacruel can take advantage of the rain Mega Swampert sets if necessary.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Knock Off allows Tentacruel to get rid of the foe's item. Giga Drain allows Tentacruel to have some form of recovery on the offensive set outside of Black Sludge while netting super effective coverage on opposing Water-types; however, a non-STAB Grass-type move is doing little to no damage to even bulky super effective targets. Swords Dance is a weird option that can work due to sheer surprise factor, but Tentacruel is normally outclassed as a Swords Dance user by Crawdaunt and Feraligatr except for the fact that it has a better Speed tier.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Psychic-types**: Reuniclus has Magic Guard to prevent them from being whittled down by status and can OHKO Tentacruel with their STAB moves. Gardevoir can also threaten Tentacruel despite being a Fairy-type with its Psychic-type STAB moves.
**Scald Switch-ins**: Heliolisk and Toxicroak both threaten Tentacruel, as they are immune to Scald. Heliolisk can also hit Tentacruel super effectively with its Electric-type STAB moves.
**Guts Users**: Heracross and Conkeldurr love being burned by Scald or poisoned by Toxic Spikes, as it boosts their Attack and allows them to overpower Tentacruel despite its resistance to their STAB moves.
**Powerful Physical Attackers**: Choice Band Entei can 3HKO even defensive Tentacruel with Sacred Fire, crippling Tentacruel with a burn, while Mega Aerodactyl 2HKOes with Earthquake. Krookodile and Mamoswine can also outspeed and OHKO defensive Tentacruel, but offensive Tentacruel takes on all of these Pokemon bar Mega Aerodactyl.
**Bulky Water-types**: Suicune and Milotic can beat Tentacruel one-on-one with Scald and recover off any damage from Tentacruel's Scald or take advantage of Scald's burn in Milotic's case. Slowking is also one of the most reliable answers to Tentacruel, as it has the special bulk to tank Scalds, takes little from an uninvested Knock Off, and has Regenerator + Slack Off to keep itself healthy.
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