Status: Submitted for Review
Changes made in brown
-Added Team Options section
-Added notes on teammates to each set
-Moderate changes on some set descriptions
-Minor changes on Opinion section
-Removed Choice Specs set, reason given by Chris is me
-Used Platinum sprite for Tentacruel
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/tentacruel
[SET]
name: Toxic Spiker
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Sludge Bomb / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Surf
item: Leftovers
ability: Liquid Ooze
nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to Tentacruel's unique typing and high Special Defense stat, it can shrug off most special Ice- and Water-type attacks, so it should have enough opportunities to get in and support the team. Surf is a good STAB attack and can be paired with either Sludge Bomb or Hidden Power Electric for coverage. Hidden Power Electric covers a weakness to Agility-based Empoleon, and it also stops Gyarados from using Tentacruel as setup fodder, though it only deal around 55%. Rapid Spin rids your side of the field from entry hazards and is an incredibly handy move to have around.</p>
<p>Toxic Spikes is an excellent move that will quickly wear down an opponents team should they lack a way of removing them. Sludge Bomb can be useful for general attacking coverage, as Water / Poison strikes all of OU, bar Tentacruel and Empoleon, for neutral damage, and it is particularly beneficial against Celebi. The 30% chance to poison the opponent can be useful in hitting Pokemon immune to Toxic Spikes, such as Gyarados, Salamence, and Latias, on the switch-in. Yet if Tentacruel has gained a free turn by forcing a switch, it will often find it more worthwhile to be setting up Toxic Spikes and then switching to an appropriate counter.</p>
<p>The given EVs allow Tentacruel to counter some of the more threatening sweepers in OU. Max HP with the 120 EVs invested in Defense ensure that standard Infernape's Close Combat is always a 3HKO. Swords Dance variants can only amount to a 2HKO, which means Tentacruel can switch in, take a Close Combat, and then Surf for the KO. The Calm nature and Special Defense EVs make sure that a Choice Scarf Heatran will never 2HKO Tentacruel.</p>
<p>Counters to Tentacruel, such as Metagross, Gyarados, and Swampert, frequently attempt to exploit its low physical defense, a flaw that is compounded by its weakness to Earthquake. Therefore, Skarmory makes an excellent companion to Tentacruel with its Ground-type immunity and high physical defense, setting up Spikes to further the residual damage. Tentacruel in turn covers Skarmory’s poor Special Defense and Fire-type weakness. Skarmory and Tentacruel share a weakness to Electric-type attacks, so it is a good practice to include a resistance to Electric-type attacks on your team. Hippowdon is a solid candidate for this role with its ability to use Stealth Rock and phaze away physical threats with Roar, which is useful against opponents such as Salamence who would otherwise defeat Skarmory with Fire Blast. Abomasnow is another fine choice, taking the Ground and Electric-type attacks aimed at Tentacruel and setting up Hail, which enables Tentacruel to use Blizzard if it so chooses. Finally, Gliscor’s typing, along with its physical defense, pairs almost perfectly with Tentacruel. However, on most teams, Hippowdon is a superior choice with its higher defenses amd its ability to summon a sandstorm, which furthers the residual damage inflicted on the opponent.</p>
<p>Since this Tentacruel lacks a recovery move, a partner that uses Wish is almost a requirement if this is being used on a defensively oriented team. Blissey works well in this capacity, and its tremendous Special Defense enables it to take hits from Special Attackers that Tentacruel cannot withstand, such as Gengar, Porygon-Z, Jolteon, and Zapdos. Vaporeon can also pass Wishes and can counter Gyarados if it uses HP Electric. However, if this path is chosen, using Skarmory is inadvisable, as it will only compound the weakness to Electric-type attacks.</p>
<p>When using Tentacruel, it is a good practice to use a bulky Ghost-type to prevent your opponent form getting rid of your entry hazards with Rapid Spin. The best candidate for this role is a Rotom form, who can take the Ground and Electric-type attacks aimed at Tentacruel, and also defeat Metagross and Gyarados with Thunderbolt. Rotom-C in particular warrants use for its Leaf Storm, which can OHKO Swampert.</p>
<p>Tentacruel really suffers against Calm Mind users such as Latias (immune to Toxic Spikes) and Suicune (that can use Rest), who treat it as setup fodder. Blissey can defeat any Latias that doesn’t possess Refresh, Safeguard, or Psycho Shift. Abomasnow walls Suicune’s Water-, Electric-, and Ice-type attacks and can threaten it with a STAB Wood Hammer that bypasses the Calm Mind boosts. Celebi is useful here as well for its Perish Song, which can force out Latias and Suicune. As an added bonus, Celebi’s typing goes along well with Tentacruel, and it can defeat Swampert and Gyarados that give Tentacruel problems.</p>
[SET]
name: Sleep Talk Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
ability: Liquid Ooze
nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Tentacruel's excellent Special Defense stat and useful set of resistances (most notably Fire, Fighting and Ice) makes it a good choice to come in on threats such as Infernape, Heatran, and Specs Lucario to set up Toxic Spikes. However, with no reliable means of recovery, Tentacruel can sometimes struggle to come in on these attacks repeatedly, and so will not always find the time to set down two layers of Toxic Spikes. However, the combination of Rest and Sleep Talk allows Tentacruel to replenish any lost health to allow it to come in on these threats again and again, making it much easier to get both layers of Toxic Spikes down. Tentacruel also makes a good switch into a number of the common sleep inducers, most notably Yanmega and Milotic. However, it does struggle against the likes of Gengar (Thunderbolt) and Bronzong (Earthquake) and can do very little back to Roserade, who sponges Surf easily and can also remove your Toxic Spikes upon switching in.</p>
<p>If you don't feel that Toxic Spikes are necessary for your team, then there are several other options for the last slot, most notably Rapid Spin. With this set, Tentacruel makes an excellent spinner, being able to come in repeatedly and clear entry hazards. However, apart from Gengar, Tentacruel struggles to do anything to most anti-spinners, and when you consider that Tentacruel already clears Toxic Spikes upon switching in, this becomes a much less attractive option. Despite this, it is still worth considering if your team dislikes Stealth Rock or Spikes. Sludge Bomb gets STAB and excellent coverage with Tentacruel's Surf, and hits Abomasnow and Celebi hard. Ice Beam hits Salamence and maintains some coverage on Celebi, whilst Hidden Power Electric actually does something to other Water types, most notably Starmie and Gyarados. However, a utility move is recommended as otherwise Tentacruel's role in a team can be somewhat limited. It also helps to differentiate Tentacruel from other bulky waters who can run a similar set, such as Milotic and to a lesser extent Gyarados.</p>
<p>The Pokemon that perform well alongside this set are generally the same as the Pokemon that work well with the standard support set. However, if this Tentacruel is being used on a stall team, as it often will be, then it is integral that a Rapid Spin user be employed to minimize residual damage. Forretress, with its exceptional physical Defense and access to Spikes, is the best candidate for this role. As a bonus, Forretress can invest in Special Defense and use Payback to 2HKO defensive Calm Mind Latias variants that use Refresh, Psycho Shift, or Safeguard to protect themselves against Toxic from Blissey, a staple of stall teams with its phenomenal HP and Special Defense.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Poison Jab
move 4: Surf / Hydro Pump
item: Life Orb
ability: Clear Body
nature: Lonely / Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 80 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Swords Dance on Tentacruel may seem foolish at first due to its lackluster Attack stat; however, with the ability to go mixed with Hydro Pump or Surf, Tentacruel can still be a threatening sweeper. Swords Dance Tentacruel is a wall breaker of sorts that dates back to GSC era to beat the infamous Skarmory and Blissey combo. With the addition of the physical / special split as well as Life Orb, Tentacruel can accomplish this even better in the DPP era.</p>
<p>A single Swords Dance nets Tentacruel 524 Attack. This is just enough to 2HKO most walls such as Blissey, Celebi, and even bulky Water-types such as Vaporeon and Suicune with Stealth Rock support. The combination of Poison Jab and Waterfall gets surprisingly good coverage, being only resisted by two Pokemon in OU: opposing Tentacruel and Empoleon. Hydro Pump or Surf (with a Lonely nature) are useful against physically defensive Pokemon like Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Forretress.</p>
<p>The given EVs allow Tentacruel to outspeed Timid Heatran and Adamant Lucario. An Adamant nature and Hydro Pump is perfectly acceptable, as it will still 2HKO Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Forretress.</p>
<p>This Tentacruel variant is threatened by Salamence, who outspeeds it and can OHKO with Earthquake or Dragon Dance on the switch. Flygon is immune to the Ground and Electric attacks aimed at Tentacruel, and when using a Choice Scarf, can force a speed tie with or outspeed a +1 Salamence and strike it with Outrage, Draco Meteor, or Dragon Claw. Flygon can also use a Choice Scarf to outspeed a +2 Empoleon, who would otherwise set up on this set, and OHKO with a STAB Earthquake, provided you have broken the substitute beforehand.</p>
<p>Swampert and Metagross are also problematic for this set, as they have the defenses necessary to take a boosted Waterfall and OHKO with Earthquake. Again, Rotom-C deserves a mention for its ability to deal with both of them. A physically defensive Zapdos with Hidden Power Grass and Heat Wave can work in a similar manner. Zapdos can also take a more offensive route with Choice Specs or Life Orb, perhaps even becoming a Choice Scarfed revenge killer in the same vein as Flygon, but on the special side.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Tentacruel’s offensive sets have their uses, but its best role is Toxic Spikes support on a stall team, and its teammates should be chosen as such. Stealth Rock and Spikes should be on the field, which means that Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Forretress are good options. A weather condition to further wear down the foe is recommended as well. Hippowdon fulfills this job, as does Abomasnow, who allows the use of Blizzard and can defeat Suicune with Wood Hammer.</p>
<p>Wish support from Blissey goes some way in compensating for Tentacruel’s lack of instant recovery. Additional support comes as a Bulky Ghost-type, particularly a Rotom form, which is almost necessary when using a support Tentacruel for the purpose of blocking Rapid Spin. Celebi is highly recommended as well for its ability to use Perish Song to phaze opponents that can set up on Tentacruel and cannot be stopped by Blissey, such as CroCune variants of Suicune and Calm Mind Latias sets that use status-eliminating moves.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, one should aim to use teammates that compensate for Tentacruel’s poor physical Defense and Electric- and Ground-type weaknesses. As such, Skarmory and Celebi are the top partners for Tentacruel. The service that Tentacruel performs to the team in return is defeating all Infernapes bar pure physical variants, easing the pressure on the stall team to continue its work.</p>
<p>Offensive Tentacruel sets work well alongside Flygon and Gliscor, as the former can revenge kill the Salamence sets that give Tentacruel trouble. Tentacruel's ability to lure in and defeat Skarmory and Gyarados with the Swords Dance set allows Gliscor to pass a boost to a teammate or attempt to sweep itself.</p>
<p>One may be tempted to employ Tentacruel to use Toxic Spikes to enable Empoleon to sweep, but since the two have very similar typing, it is a risky strategy, and should only be attempted with Gliscor support. Gliscor takes the Ground, Electric, and Fighting-type moves that are aimed at Tentacruel and Empoleon, and does well in passing an Agility boost to Empoleon if necessary. In regards to Empoleon-based teams, Roserade and Forretress are generally superior choices for the role of Toxic Spikers. However, Tentacruel’s Toxic Spikes provide substantial aid to balanced teams utilizing Zapdos, whose counters are all affected by the entry hazard. Teams that aim to use defensive variants of Suicune or Latias to set up maximal amounts of Calm Minds and sweep also enjoy the effect Toxic Spikes has on Blissey.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Giga Drain can 2HKO an incoming Water / Ground-types, particularly Swampert, and even though it does less damage than Sludge Bomb against most other Water-types, it provides Tentacruel with a way to replenish HP outside of Leftovers recovery.</p>
<p>In DP Play, Ice Beam was a great move, as it enabled Tentacruel to defeat a Classic Mixmence. However, the move is of questionable utility if Tentacruel isn't using Choice Specs nowadays. Still, it is an option if you are paranoid about stopping Dragons from setting up or just want a reliable way to defeat Roserade, who is otherwise a pain for Tentacruel with its ability to remove your Toxic Spikes. Blizzard, on the other hand, is a more than viable choice on Hail teams due to the higher base power.</p>
<p>Knock Off can be used over a secondary attacking move on the Toxic Spiker set. However, you may find that taking away a Life Orb or a Choice item actually harms your cause: with a Life Orb, it is easier to stall out an opponent as they lose 10% of their health for each attack. With a Choice item on the opponent, it is easy to switch to a suitable counter and force the opponent to switch out, in which case they take residual damage upon re-entry.</p>
<p>Tentacruel can't Haze too effectively, but it can work if Calm Mind Suicune is a concern. Mirror Coat can KO an opponent trying to Thunderbolt Tentacruel (Starmie, for example), but is a risky choice. Confuse Ray (which is illegal with Rapid Spin) and Safeguard are choices for support, but neither are especially useful. Black Sludge can be used over Leftovers if you are acting under Item Clause and it can somewhat harm Trick users; although they now have a dangerous item to Trick to another of your Pokemon.</p>
[EVs]
<p>In addition to the standard Support set EVs, which make Life Orb Infernape's Close Combat and Choice Scarf Heatran's Earth Power 3HKOes, Tentacruel has a multitude of other EVing options. Calm nature with 204 HP / 96 SpA / 172 SpD / 36 Spe hits 245 Speed and 220 Special Attack, while ensuring Earth Power from Choice Scarf Heatran and Dragon Pulse from Choice Specs Salamence both fail to 2HKO. Timid with 204 HP / 156 SpA / 148 Spe allow Tentacruel to survive a Draco Meteor from Modest Choice Specs Salamence (managing 81.3% - 95.7%), outrun it, and guarantee a KO with Ice Beam; watch out for entry hazards, though, as with Stealth Rock, that same Salamence has a 53.9% chance of OHKOing Tentacruel.</p>
<p>As far as Speed goes, you'll want to aim for the following Speed numbers. With a Speed-boosting nature, you can aim for 319, 308, or 300. 319 will let Tentacruel get the drop on all base 95 Speed Pokemon, including Electivire. 308 beats the fastest non-Scarfed base 90s, while 300 will outrun neutral-natured base 100s, including Salamence. With neutral natures, 285 beats Jolly Mamoswine, while 280 gets the drop on Adamant Lucario, 255 beats a Modest Heatran, and 244 edges past Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Breloom.</p>
<p>Max Attack for the Swords Dancer. Aiming for one of the higher Speed numbers - 319, 308, 300 - generally benefits a more offensive Tentacruel moreso than a slower Speed. The remaining should go toward Special Attack. Use an Adamant nature with Hydro Pump, or Lonely with either Hydro Pump or Surf.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>His impressive Special Defense suggests "special wall", but unfortunate weaknesses to the ever common Thunderbolt and Earth Power mean he can't truly lay claim to that title. However, his fairly diverse movepool enables him to act as sweeper or supporter (or even a little of both), making him a valuable asset to most teams, particularly stall. In OU, you'll find his ability to spin away Spikes and Stealth Rock and switch into Aura Sphere and Fire Blast with little risk most welcome. Tentacruel’s power to defeat almost all Infernape sets is nonpareil, and is beloved by stall teams. Overall, Tentacruel is a decent Pokémon that fulfills a unique niche, but his Ground and Electric-type weaknesses can limit his chances of switching in, and you’ll need to give him the support he needs to let him shine.
[Counters]
<p>Swampert beats Tentacruel if it isn't carrying carry Giga Drain, although switching into Toxic Spikes will take a toll on Swampert's health quickly. Gastrodon functions in a similar fashion, and as a bonus has Sticky Hold to prevent Knock Off from working.</p>
<p>Empoleon shrugs off everything Tentacruel has to offer bar Hidden Power Electric, although he'll need Earthquake to bring down the squid quickly. Metagross can take Swords Dance Waterfalls well and kill off Tentacruel with Earthquake. Unfortunately, Hydro Pump from the Swords Dance set can do quite a bit of damage against said Metagross. Jirachi handles his attacks with relative ease and has Psychic and Electric attacks to hit back with. Weezing can take on the Swords Dance set, but only if he has Thunderbolt as Substitute will block his attempts to burn Tentacruel with Will-O-Wisp. He can also Haze away your stat boosts, but Hydro Pump is taking a toll on Weezing.</p>
<p>Appliance Rotom can switch into the common support set and, besides taking little damage from Surf and being immune to Toxic Spikes, will prevent Rapid Spin from clearing entry hazards. Rotom-A can then threaten a STAB Thunderbolt which will deal over 40% damage to Tentacruel. Offensive Tentacruel can 2HKO most Rotom-A, but Tentacruel must set up the Swords Dance during the switch in and get lucky with the flinch rate from Waterfall.</p>
<p>Latias can come in on any of the sets pretty easily and start setting up Calm Mind. With its high Special Defense it will not take much damage even from Ice Beam, and Levitate grants it immunity to Tentacruel's Toxic Spikes. Latias also has the option of STAB Psychic-type attacks, though it rarely uses them.</p>
Changes made in brown
-Added Team Options section
-Added notes on teammates to each set
-Moderate changes on some set descriptions
-Minor changes on Opinion section
-Removed Choice Specs set, reason given by Chris is me
-Used Platinum sprite for Tentacruel
[SET]
name: Toxic Spiker
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Sludge Bomb / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Surf
item: Leftovers
ability: Liquid Ooze
nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to Tentacruel's unique typing and high Special Defense stat, it can shrug off most special Ice- and Water-type attacks, so it should have enough opportunities to get in and support the team. Surf is a good STAB attack and can be paired with either Sludge Bomb or Hidden Power Electric for coverage. Hidden Power Electric covers a weakness to Agility-based Empoleon, and it also stops Gyarados from using Tentacruel as setup fodder, though it only deal around 55%. Rapid Spin rids your side of the field from entry hazards and is an incredibly handy move to have around.</p>
<p>Toxic Spikes is an excellent move that will quickly wear down an opponents team should they lack a way of removing them. Sludge Bomb can be useful for general attacking coverage, as Water / Poison strikes all of OU, bar Tentacruel and Empoleon, for neutral damage, and it is particularly beneficial against Celebi. The 30% chance to poison the opponent can be useful in hitting Pokemon immune to Toxic Spikes, such as Gyarados, Salamence, and Latias, on the switch-in. Yet if Tentacruel has gained a free turn by forcing a switch, it will often find it more worthwhile to be setting up Toxic Spikes and then switching to an appropriate counter.</p>
<p>The given EVs allow Tentacruel to counter some of the more threatening sweepers in OU. Max HP with the 120 EVs invested in Defense ensure that standard Infernape's Close Combat is always a 3HKO. Swords Dance variants can only amount to a 2HKO, which means Tentacruel can switch in, take a Close Combat, and then Surf for the KO. The Calm nature and Special Defense EVs make sure that a Choice Scarf Heatran will never 2HKO Tentacruel.</p>
<p>Counters to Tentacruel, such as Metagross, Gyarados, and Swampert, frequently attempt to exploit its low physical defense, a flaw that is compounded by its weakness to Earthquake. Therefore, Skarmory makes an excellent companion to Tentacruel with its Ground-type immunity and high physical defense, setting up Spikes to further the residual damage. Tentacruel in turn covers Skarmory’s poor Special Defense and Fire-type weakness. Skarmory and Tentacruel share a weakness to Electric-type attacks, so it is a good practice to include a resistance to Electric-type attacks on your team. Hippowdon is a solid candidate for this role with its ability to use Stealth Rock and phaze away physical threats with Roar, which is useful against opponents such as Salamence who would otherwise defeat Skarmory with Fire Blast. Abomasnow is another fine choice, taking the Ground and Electric-type attacks aimed at Tentacruel and setting up Hail, which enables Tentacruel to use Blizzard if it so chooses. Finally, Gliscor’s typing, along with its physical defense, pairs almost perfectly with Tentacruel. However, on most teams, Hippowdon is a superior choice with its higher defenses amd its ability to summon a sandstorm, which furthers the residual damage inflicted on the opponent.</p>
<p>Since this Tentacruel lacks a recovery move, a partner that uses Wish is almost a requirement if this is being used on a defensively oriented team. Blissey works well in this capacity, and its tremendous Special Defense enables it to take hits from Special Attackers that Tentacruel cannot withstand, such as Gengar, Porygon-Z, Jolteon, and Zapdos. Vaporeon can also pass Wishes and can counter Gyarados if it uses HP Electric. However, if this path is chosen, using Skarmory is inadvisable, as it will only compound the weakness to Electric-type attacks.</p>
<p>When using Tentacruel, it is a good practice to use a bulky Ghost-type to prevent your opponent form getting rid of your entry hazards with Rapid Spin. The best candidate for this role is a Rotom form, who can take the Ground and Electric-type attacks aimed at Tentacruel, and also defeat Metagross and Gyarados with Thunderbolt. Rotom-C in particular warrants use for its Leaf Storm, which can OHKO Swampert.</p>
<p>Tentacruel really suffers against Calm Mind users such as Latias (immune to Toxic Spikes) and Suicune (that can use Rest), who treat it as setup fodder. Blissey can defeat any Latias that doesn’t possess Refresh, Safeguard, or Psycho Shift. Abomasnow walls Suicune’s Water-, Electric-, and Ice-type attacks and can threaten it with a STAB Wood Hammer that bypasses the Calm Mind boosts. Celebi is useful here as well for its Perish Song, which can force out Latias and Suicune. As an added bonus, Celebi’s typing goes along well with Tentacruel, and it can defeat Swampert and Gyarados that give Tentacruel problems.</p>
[SET]
name: Sleep Talk Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
ability: Liquid Ooze
nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Tentacruel's excellent Special Defense stat and useful set of resistances (most notably Fire, Fighting and Ice) makes it a good choice to come in on threats such as Infernape, Heatran, and Specs Lucario to set up Toxic Spikes. However, with no reliable means of recovery, Tentacruel can sometimes struggle to come in on these attacks repeatedly, and so will not always find the time to set down two layers of Toxic Spikes. However, the combination of Rest and Sleep Talk allows Tentacruel to replenish any lost health to allow it to come in on these threats again and again, making it much easier to get both layers of Toxic Spikes down. Tentacruel also makes a good switch into a number of the common sleep inducers, most notably Yanmega and Milotic. However, it does struggle against the likes of Gengar (Thunderbolt) and Bronzong (Earthquake) and can do very little back to Roserade, who sponges Surf easily and can also remove your Toxic Spikes upon switching in.</p>
<p>If you don't feel that Toxic Spikes are necessary for your team, then there are several other options for the last slot, most notably Rapid Spin. With this set, Tentacruel makes an excellent spinner, being able to come in repeatedly and clear entry hazards. However, apart from Gengar, Tentacruel struggles to do anything to most anti-spinners, and when you consider that Tentacruel already clears Toxic Spikes upon switching in, this becomes a much less attractive option. Despite this, it is still worth considering if your team dislikes Stealth Rock or Spikes. Sludge Bomb gets STAB and excellent coverage with Tentacruel's Surf, and hits Abomasnow and Celebi hard. Ice Beam hits Salamence and maintains some coverage on Celebi, whilst Hidden Power Electric actually does something to other Water types, most notably Starmie and Gyarados. However, a utility move is recommended as otherwise Tentacruel's role in a team can be somewhat limited. It also helps to differentiate Tentacruel from other bulky waters who can run a similar set, such as Milotic and to a lesser extent Gyarados.</p>
<p>The Pokemon that perform well alongside this set are generally the same as the Pokemon that work well with the standard support set. However, if this Tentacruel is being used on a stall team, as it often will be, then it is integral that a Rapid Spin user be employed to minimize residual damage. Forretress, with its exceptional physical Defense and access to Spikes, is the best candidate for this role. As a bonus, Forretress can invest in Special Defense and use Payback to 2HKO defensive Calm Mind Latias variants that use Refresh, Psycho Shift, or Safeguard to protect themselves against Toxic from Blissey, a staple of stall teams with its phenomenal HP and Special Defense.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Poison Jab
move 4: Surf / Hydro Pump
item: Life Orb
ability: Clear Body
nature: Lonely / Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 80 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Swords Dance on Tentacruel may seem foolish at first due to its lackluster Attack stat; however, with the ability to go mixed with Hydro Pump or Surf, Tentacruel can still be a threatening sweeper. Swords Dance Tentacruel is a wall breaker of sorts that dates back to GSC era to beat the infamous Skarmory and Blissey combo. With the addition of the physical / special split as well as Life Orb, Tentacruel can accomplish this even better in the DPP era.</p>
<p>A single Swords Dance nets Tentacruel 524 Attack. This is just enough to 2HKO most walls such as Blissey, Celebi, and even bulky Water-types such as Vaporeon and Suicune with Stealth Rock support. The combination of Poison Jab and Waterfall gets surprisingly good coverage, being only resisted by two Pokemon in OU: opposing Tentacruel and Empoleon. Hydro Pump or Surf (with a Lonely nature) are useful against physically defensive Pokemon like Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Forretress.</p>
<p>The given EVs allow Tentacruel to outspeed Timid Heatran and Adamant Lucario. An Adamant nature and Hydro Pump is perfectly acceptable, as it will still 2HKO Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Forretress.</p>
<p>This Tentacruel variant is threatened by Salamence, who outspeeds it and can OHKO with Earthquake or Dragon Dance on the switch. Flygon is immune to the Ground and Electric attacks aimed at Tentacruel, and when using a Choice Scarf, can force a speed tie with or outspeed a +1 Salamence and strike it with Outrage, Draco Meteor, or Dragon Claw. Flygon can also use a Choice Scarf to outspeed a +2 Empoleon, who would otherwise set up on this set, and OHKO with a STAB Earthquake, provided you have broken the substitute beforehand.</p>
<p>Swampert and Metagross are also problematic for this set, as they have the defenses necessary to take a boosted Waterfall and OHKO with Earthquake. Again, Rotom-C deserves a mention for its ability to deal with both of them. A physically defensive Zapdos with Hidden Power Grass and Heat Wave can work in a similar manner. Zapdos can also take a more offensive route with Choice Specs or Life Orb, perhaps even becoming a Choice Scarfed revenge killer in the same vein as Flygon, but on the special side.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Tentacruel’s offensive sets have their uses, but its best role is Toxic Spikes support on a stall team, and its teammates should be chosen as such. Stealth Rock and Spikes should be on the field, which means that Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Forretress are good options. A weather condition to further wear down the foe is recommended as well. Hippowdon fulfills this job, as does Abomasnow, who allows the use of Blizzard and can defeat Suicune with Wood Hammer.</p>
<p>Wish support from Blissey goes some way in compensating for Tentacruel’s lack of instant recovery. Additional support comes as a Bulky Ghost-type, particularly a Rotom form, which is almost necessary when using a support Tentacruel for the purpose of blocking Rapid Spin. Celebi is highly recommended as well for its ability to use Perish Song to phaze opponents that can set up on Tentacruel and cannot be stopped by Blissey, such as CroCune variants of Suicune and Calm Mind Latias sets that use status-eliminating moves.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, one should aim to use teammates that compensate for Tentacruel’s poor physical Defense and Electric- and Ground-type weaknesses. As such, Skarmory and Celebi are the top partners for Tentacruel. The service that Tentacruel performs to the team in return is defeating all Infernapes bar pure physical variants, easing the pressure on the stall team to continue its work.</p>
<p>Offensive Tentacruel sets work well alongside Flygon and Gliscor, as the former can revenge kill the Salamence sets that give Tentacruel trouble. Tentacruel's ability to lure in and defeat Skarmory and Gyarados with the Swords Dance set allows Gliscor to pass a boost to a teammate or attempt to sweep itself.</p>
<p>One may be tempted to employ Tentacruel to use Toxic Spikes to enable Empoleon to sweep, but since the two have very similar typing, it is a risky strategy, and should only be attempted with Gliscor support. Gliscor takes the Ground, Electric, and Fighting-type moves that are aimed at Tentacruel and Empoleon, and does well in passing an Agility boost to Empoleon if necessary. In regards to Empoleon-based teams, Roserade and Forretress are generally superior choices for the role of Toxic Spikers. However, Tentacruel’s Toxic Spikes provide substantial aid to balanced teams utilizing Zapdos, whose counters are all affected by the entry hazard. Teams that aim to use defensive variants of Suicune or Latias to set up maximal amounts of Calm Minds and sweep also enjoy the effect Toxic Spikes has on Blissey.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Giga Drain can 2HKO an incoming Water / Ground-types, particularly Swampert, and even though it does less damage than Sludge Bomb against most other Water-types, it provides Tentacruel with a way to replenish HP outside of Leftovers recovery.</p>
<p>In DP Play, Ice Beam was a great move, as it enabled Tentacruel to defeat a Classic Mixmence. However, the move is of questionable utility if Tentacruel isn't using Choice Specs nowadays. Still, it is an option if you are paranoid about stopping Dragons from setting up or just want a reliable way to defeat Roserade, who is otherwise a pain for Tentacruel with its ability to remove your Toxic Spikes. Blizzard, on the other hand, is a more than viable choice on Hail teams due to the higher base power.</p>
<p>Knock Off can be used over a secondary attacking move on the Toxic Spiker set. However, you may find that taking away a Life Orb or a Choice item actually harms your cause: with a Life Orb, it is easier to stall out an opponent as they lose 10% of their health for each attack. With a Choice item on the opponent, it is easy to switch to a suitable counter and force the opponent to switch out, in which case they take residual damage upon re-entry.</p>
<p>Tentacruel can't Haze too effectively, but it can work if Calm Mind Suicune is a concern. Mirror Coat can KO an opponent trying to Thunderbolt Tentacruel (Starmie, for example), but is a risky choice. Confuse Ray (which is illegal with Rapid Spin) and Safeguard are choices for support, but neither are especially useful. Black Sludge can be used over Leftovers if you are acting under Item Clause and it can somewhat harm Trick users; although they now have a dangerous item to Trick to another of your Pokemon.</p>
[EVs]
<p>In addition to the standard Support set EVs, which make Life Orb Infernape's Close Combat and Choice Scarf Heatran's Earth Power 3HKOes, Tentacruel has a multitude of other EVing options. Calm nature with 204 HP / 96 SpA / 172 SpD / 36 Spe hits 245 Speed and 220 Special Attack, while ensuring Earth Power from Choice Scarf Heatran and Dragon Pulse from Choice Specs Salamence both fail to 2HKO. Timid with 204 HP / 156 SpA / 148 Spe allow Tentacruel to survive a Draco Meteor from Modest Choice Specs Salamence (managing 81.3% - 95.7%), outrun it, and guarantee a KO with Ice Beam; watch out for entry hazards, though, as with Stealth Rock, that same Salamence has a 53.9% chance of OHKOing Tentacruel.</p>
<p>As far as Speed goes, you'll want to aim for the following Speed numbers. With a Speed-boosting nature, you can aim for 319, 308, or 300. 319 will let Tentacruel get the drop on all base 95 Speed Pokemon, including Electivire. 308 beats the fastest non-Scarfed base 90s, while 300 will outrun neutral-natured base 100s, including Salamence. With neutral natures, 285 beats Jolly Mamoswine, while 280 gets the drop on Adamant Lucario, 255 beats a Modest Heatran, and 244 edges past Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Breloom.</p>
<p>Max Attack for the Swords Dancer. Aiming for one of the higher Speed numbers - 319, 308, 300 - generally benefits a more offensive Tentacruel moreso than a slower Speed. The remaining should go toward Special Attack. Use an Adamant nature with Hydro Pump, or Lonely with either Hydro Pump or Surf.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>His impressive Special Defense suggests "special wall", but unfortunate weaknesses to the ever common Thunderbolt and Earth Power mean he can't truly lay claim to that title. However, his fairly diverse movepool enables him to act as sweeper or supporter (or even a little of both), making him a valuable asset to most teams, particularly stall. In OU, you'll find his ability to spin away Spikes and Stealth Rock and switch into Aura Sphere and Fire Blast with little risk most welcome. Tentacruel’s power to defeat almost all Infernape sets is nonpareil, and is beloved by stall teams. Overall, Tentacruel is a decent Pokémon that fulfills a unique niche, but his Ground and Electric-type weaknesses can limit his chances of switching in, and you’ll need to give him the support he needs to let him shine.
[Counters]
<p>Swampert beats Tentacruel if it isn't carrying carry Giga Drain, although switching into Toxic Spikes will take a toll on Swampert's health quickly. Gastrodon functions in a similar fashion, and as a bonus has Sticky Hold to prevent Knock Off from working.</p>
<p>Empoleon shrugs off everything Tentacruel has to offer bar Hidden Power Electric, although he'll need Earthquake to bring down the squid quickly. Metagross can take Swords Dance Waterfalls well and kill off Tentacruel with Earthquake. Unfortunately, Hydro Pump from the Swords Dance set can do quite a bit of damage against said Metagross. Jirachi handles his attacks with relative ease and has Psychic and Electric attacks to hit back with. Weezing can take on the Swords Dance set, but only if he has Thunderbolt as Substitute will block his attempts to burn Tentacruel with Will-O-Wisp. He can also Haze away your stat boosts, but Hydro Pump is taking a toll on Weezing.</p>
<p>Appliance Rotom can switch into the common support set and, besides taking little damage from Surf and being immune to Toxic Spikes, will prevent Rapid Spin from clearing entry hazards. Rotom-A can then threaten a STAB Thunderbolt which will deal over 40% damage to Tentacruel. Offensive Tentacruel can 2HKO most Rotom-A, but Tentacruel must set up the Swords Dance during the switch in and get lucky with the flinch rate from Waterfall.</p>
<p>Latias can come in on any of the sets pretty easily and start setting up Calm Mind. With its high Special Defense it will not take much damage even from Ice Beam, and Levitate grants it immunity to Tentacruel's Toxic Spikes. Latias also has the option of STAB Psychic-type attacks, though it rarely uses them.</p>
