Blastoise makes a name for itself as an amazing Shell Smash user, and can remove any entry-hazards, having access to Rapid Spin. This makes Blastoise a key defensive water-type, and also an effective Shell Smash sweeper. This effective set-up can completely stop any pokemon using booster moves, such as Dragon Dance or Nasty Plot. The access that Blastoise also has to Ice Beam makes it the perfect sweep or pivot water-type, stopping Dragon Dance users such as Salamence, Dragapult, or even Dragonite.
Shell Smash Sweeper:
Ability - Torrent @ White Herb
Tera Type - Grass
Moveset:
Shell Smash
Rapid Spin/Focus Blast
Hydro Pump/Surf
Ice Beam
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 Sp, 252 Spa, 4Hp
Altough being an effective Shell Smash user, Blastoise has its weaknesses too. Though Blastoise has Ice Beam, it is still massively vulnerable to strong Grass Type attackers and Giga Drain users, such as Roserade, Shaymin and Amoonguss. Blastoise is also left slightly vulnerable to electric type bulk pokemon, such as Ampharos.
Blastoise is also effective without the use of Shell Smash, acting as a useful pivot having access to Flip Turn, Toxic and Roar, These three moves used in combination can make Blastoise a great defensive spinner, removing entry hazards and again completely thwarting stat boosting bulks, such as Nasty Plot Spectrier, or Swords Dance users.
Defensive Spin Pivot:
Ability: Torrent Heavy-Duty Boots
Tera Type: Grass
Moves:
Flip Turn
Toxic
Roar
Rapid Spin
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252HP, 252Def, 4Spa
The uses of Toxic and Roar allow Blastoise to switch opponents out while poisoning most of them. Partnering this with Blastoise’s high defensive stat allows us to unlock the true ability that Blastoise has to offer, countering Magic Bounce entry pokemon such as Hatterene and Espeon, while being vulnerable to Steel-Type attackers such as Gholdengo and Scizor. Blastoise having Heavy-Duty Boots allows it to be an irritating defensive pokemon, avoiding the risk of Toxic Spikes and/or Sticky Web on switch-in. Blastoise should never be used in lead, and is far more effective being used as a switch-in pokemon after a lead. The Tera-Type Grass is the best for any water typed-pokemon, however it can still be ineffective and leaves Blastoise vulnerable, meaning the tera-typing option should only be used in a rare scenario. The Grass typing makes Blastoise strong against the two types that Water-typed Blastoise would normally be vulnerable to, but now leave Blastoise vulnerable to the fire typing and flying typing in particular.
The use of Flip-Turn allows Blastoise to switch out of any matchup while attacking the opponent. This can be ineffective due to the slow speed of Blastoise without any EVs on the stat, but it is still a great option for the defensive Blastoise alongside Rapid Spin.
Lastly, the use of Rapid Spin allows Blastoise to remove entry hazards and increases the speed of the pokemon, allowing it to outspeed annoying pivot pokemon such as Volcarona.
Blastoise is effective when partenered with Thunder-wave users, such as Dragonite, Blissey and Ampharos. Partnering it up with a Sticky Web lead, such as Ribombee or Vikavolt, with the Blastoise Shell Smash moveset the pokemon becomes a practically unbeatable sweeper, only being vulnerable to bulky grass types such as Breloom or Amoonguss.
Overall, Blastoise is a great water type to have on your team, whether its used as a defensive Rapid Soin user or a Shell Smash sweeper.
Shell Smash Sweeper:
Ability - Torrent @ White Herb
Tera Type - Grass
Moveset:
Shell Smash
Rapid Spin/Focus Blast
Hydro Pump/Surf
Ice Beam
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 Sp, 252 Spa, 4Hp
Altough being an effective Shell Smash user, Blastoise has its weaknesses too. Though Blastoise has Ice Beam, it is still massively vulnerable to strong Grass Type attackers and Giga Drain users, such as Roserade, Shaymin and Amoonguss. Blastoise is also left slightly vulnerable to electric type bulk pokemon, such as Ampharos.
Blastoise is also effective without the use of Shell Smash, acting as a useful pivot having access to Flip Turn, Toxic and Roar, These three moves used in combination can make Blastoise a great defensive spinner, removing entry hazards and again completely thwarting stat boosting bulks, such as Nasty Plot Spectrier, or Swords Dance users.
Defensive Spin Pivot:
Ability: Torrent Heavy-Duty Boots
Tera Type: Grass
Moves:
Flip Turn
Toxic
Roar
Rapid Spin
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252HP, 252Def, 4Spa
The uses of Toxic and Roar allow Blastoise to switch opponents out while poisoning most of them. Partnering this with Blastoise’s high defensive stat allows us to unlock the true ability that Blastoise has to offer, countering Magic Bounce entry pokemon such as Hatterene and Espeon, while being vulnerable to Steel-Type attackers such as Gholdengo and Scizor. Blastoise having Heavy-Duty Boots allows it to be an irritating defensive pokemon, avoiding the risk of Toxic Spikes and/or Sticky Web on switch-in. Blastoise should never be used in lead, and is far more effective being used as a switch-in pokemon after a lead. The Tera-Type Grass is the best for any water typed-pokemon, however it can still be ineffective and leaves Blastoise vulnerable, meaning the tera-typing option should only be used in a rare scenario. The Grass typing makes Blastoise strong against the two types that Water-typed Blastoise would normally be vulnerable to, but now leave Blastoise vulnerable to the fire typing and flying typing in particular.
The use of Flip-Turn allows Blastoise to switch out of any matchup while attacking the opponent. This can be ineffective due to the slow speed of Blastoise without any EVs on the stat, but it is still a great option for the defensive Blastoise alongside Rapid Spin.
Lastly, the use of Rapid Spin allows Blastoise to remove entry hazards and increases the speed of the pokemon, allowing it to outspeed annoying pivot pokemon such as Volcarona.
Blastoise is effective when partenered with Thunder-wave users, such as Dragonite, Blissey and Ampharos. Partnering it up with a Sticky Web lead, such as Ribombee or Vikavolt, with the Blastoise Shell Smash moveset the pokemon becomes a practically unbeatable sweeper, only being vulnerable to bulky grass types such as Breloom or Amoonguss.
Overall, Blastoise is a great water type to have on your team, whether its used as a defensive Rapid Soin user or a Shell Smash sweeper.
