Plague von Karma
Banned deucer.
This is from a draft that was kept prior to the launch of the RBY UU Analysis Project.
[OVERVIEW]
Tentacruel is a centralizing force in RBY UU and is often claimed to be the face of the tier. With Speed rivaled only by a few threats, such as Dodrio, Tentacruel puts immense pressure on teams throughout a game, sometimes even right out of the gate as a lead. With near-perfect coverage in Surf and Blizzard, amazing Special, and the incredible utility of Wrap, it's capable of forcing out even bulkier threats that could otherwise check it. In addition, being Poison-type, Toxic will fail against it, removing vital counterplay to Wrap. Due to the sheer utility of its fast Wrap, Tentacruel is seen on virtually every RBY UU team, as it can dominate anything slower than it such as Articuno or Moltres.
However, despite its imposing presence in RBY UU, Tentacruel's part-Poison typing gives it glaring weaknesses to Psychic- and Ground-type attacks, which can lead to it taking immense damage if it switches in poorly. Tentacruel really dislikes paralysis too, which almost completely diminishes its Wrap utility, and accounting for this is pivotal to its success.
[SET]
name: Wrap Pivot
move 1: Surf
move 2: Blizzard
move 3: Wrap
move 4: Rest
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Surf blends with Blizzard to give Tentacruel excellent coverage. Should this combination not work, Wrap will by giving Tentacruel ample opportunity to pivot around its checks and granting it free turns against slower Pokemon. Rest provides Tentacruel with additional staying powerand gives it a way to alleviate paralysis should it switch out after using the move. Tentacruel's bulk and typing are usually enough to let it wake up; it can often burn sleep turns by switching into opposing Wrap. If paralyzed, however, it's usually unable to use Rest against Wrap users. In this case, using Rest against Vaporeon, Omastar, or resting Hypno is a viable strategy, as switching out after will remove the Speed drop from paralysis.
Tentacruel can be used as a lead thanks to the utility of Wrap, providing immediate momentum as the game opens. This is most effective against sleep leads like Hypno and Haunter that are slower than it. Note that while Wrap won't deal damage to Haunter, it will still be immobilized. However, faster threats such as Kadabra and Electabuzz can threaten Tentacruel with paralysis or heavy damage from their STAB moves. Tentacruel remains effective outside of the lead slot, being a solid mid-game threat due to the momentum Wrap provides and its ability to force out many Pokemon that can't handle its coverage. It can also perform admirably as a late-game sweeper, utilizing Wrap after the opposing team has been paralyzed and weakened.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Swords Dance can be utilized, sometimes alongside Hyper Beam, to make Tentacruel more of a sweeper. It can work excellently alongside Wrap, boosting its chip damage and KOing Pokemon earlier from the sheer damage of a boosted Hyper Beam. Swords Dance is most helpful when both players only have their own Tentacruel to answer the other's, giving yours the opportunity to win the mirror. However, outside of this situation, Rest is usually the better option. Hydro Pump can be used for more damage, but the accuracy and drop in PP are very noticeable in prolonged games.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Paralysis Inducers**: Tentacruel is severely crippled by paralysis, and any fast threat that can inflict it, such as Kadabra, Raichu, or Electabuzz, can be a very pressing issue for it. The chance of full paralysis coupled with Wrap's accuracy leaves Tentacruel with a roughly 66% chance to connect Wrap, which makes the risk-reward factor less than favorable when Wrap pivoting out of bad matchups instead of just switching out. The Speed drop combined with this causes Tentacruel to be a significantly less effective Wrap user and leaves it vulnerable to slower threats like Hypno and Gyarados; Gyarados makes it much more difficult for Tentacruel to use Rest to heal up. Kadabra and Electabuzz, being faster than Tentacruel and possessing enough bulk to avoid a 2HKO from Surf, are capable of switching into Tentacruel directly and threatening it with Thunder Wave. However, it is often safer for the Kadabra or Electabuzz user to send in a Water-resistant Pokemon to bait Wrap and then switch either Pokemon into the locked-in move. Since Kadabra and Electabuzz are faster than Tentacruel, they can wait out the Wrap turns and threaten 2HKOs with their STAB moves. It should be noted, however, that a critical hit from Surf severely hurts Kadabra, forcing it to use Recover and letting the Tentacruel user switch to something like Hypno to maintain momentum and potentially spread status. Electabuzz and Raichu, on the other hand, still threaten to take Tentacruel down after a critical hit from Surf.
**Haunter**: Haunter has enough bulk to avoid a 2HKO from Tentacruel's STAB moves and won't take chip damage from Wrap, although it is still immobilized. Due to its strong Thunderbolt, Haunter can force Tentacruel out and make it waste Wrap PP. However, if Haunter has already been damaged, it may be forced to use Explosion instead. It should be noted that a Thunderbolt and subsequent Explosion from Haunter can KO Tentacruel, but low rolls from Thunderbolt can let it survive. If this happens, the next attempt to revenge kill Tentacruel should force it to switch out. Critical hits from Surf can deal severe damage to Haunter, however, likely forcing it to use Explosion regardless.
**Dugtrio**: Dugtrio is the fastest threat in the tier and can 2HKO Tentacruel with Earthquake. However, its fragility makes Surf a guaranteed OHKO, so Dugtrio is limited to a revenge killing role. Tentacruel should attempt to stay out of OHKO range, ideally being at 80% HP or more, but this is a tall order in many situations.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353], [Shellnuts, 491544], [Volk,530877]]
- Quality checked by: [[phoopes, 96315], [EB0LA, 423005]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157]]
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