[OVERVIEW]
Tentacruel is unquestionably the defining threat of RBY UU, shaping every facet of the tier and dictating the viability of many Pokemon. Access to Wrap combined with its incredible base 100 Speed gives it nigh-unmatched utility in nearly every game. Tentacruel's Wrap shapes the identity of RBY UU, defining offensive and defensive play in the tier. Wrap wears down foes and gains momentum by pivoting while they're immobilized, and Tentacruel's many strengths accentuate these positives. Its high Speed and Wrap give it the advantage in most one-on-one interactions: against any slower foe, Tentacruel can just use Wrap and switch as the move expires, giving its team free chip damage and a free switch. This strategy has no good short-term counterplay: switching a faster Pokemon or Haunter into Wrap won't let it punish Tentacruel, making it very hard to punish and gain momentum against Tentacruel. Tentacruel also easily switches in on the tier's many Surfs and Blizzards from threats like Vaporeon, Dewgong, and Articuno. With all these switch-in chances, Tentacruel gets on the field often, and since most Pokemon are slower and thus completely shut down by Wrap, Tentacruel is hard to force out too. This longevity and pressure is made even more potent if Tentacruel chooses to run Rest to stick around even longer and avoid getting worn down. All this field presence, chip damage, momentum, and safe pivoting for offensive teammates lets Tentacruel immensely pressure defensive Pokemon. Finally, not only does Wrap prevent defensive Pokemon from healing during its duration, but Tentacruel can run Swords Dance to emphasize this pressure even more.
Tentacruel's many positive attributes support its Wrap, but they also have their own critical applications. With its base 120 Special, which is tied for the second-highest in the tier, STAB Surf or Hydro Pump, and good coverage with Blizzard, Tentacruel is an offensive behemoth. Its STAB moves deal significant damage to Kangaskhan, Omastar, Haunter, and Kadabra, while Blizzard hits Dodrio, Dragonite, Venusaur, Victreebel, and Tangela hard, if it doesn't just OHKO them outright. This wide coverage with Tentacruel's high Speed allows it to act as a revenge killer, a sweeper, and a wallbreaker. If it chooses to run Swords Dance, Tentacruel becomes a nigh-unwallable late-game sweeper, demolishing slower teams with Wrap, Hyper Beam, and Surf with near impunity. Meanwhile, with Rest and the fantastic Water typing, Tentacruel becomes a key defensive piece. It checks Articuno, one of the most dangerous Pokemon in the tier, and answers the myriad of Surfs and Blizzards from the tier's many Water-types, such as Vaporeon, Gyarados, Omastar, Dewgong, and itself, giving it a defensive niche as well as an entry opportunity. Further, all the above niches and Wrap synergize with each other. Wrap chip damage bolsters Tentacruel's offensive pressure, and whenever Tentacruel comes in to exploit a positive offensive or defensive matchup, it gains another chance to use Wrap.
Despite all these positives, Tentacruel does have some very notable flaws. Its Poison typing, while making it immune to Toxic, gives it a glaring weakness to Psychic and Earthquake. These weaknesses make it hard to switch Tentacruel into Pokemon like Hypno and Kangaskhan, and they prevent it from staying in against Kadabra and Dugtrio, both of which outspeed Tentacruel and heavily damage it with their STAB moves. Another notable weakness of Tentacruel is its physical frailty, which can allow threats such as Persian and Aerodactyl to force Tentacruel out as well. Tentacruel is also severely crippled by paralysis, as the Speed drop and chance for full paralysis mid-Wrap heavily impact its utility. Lastly, Tentacruel's reliance on Rest to heal itself can be heavily punished by Psychic-types such as Kadabra and Hypno, Electric-types such as Raichu and Electabuzz, and physical attackers such as Kangaskhan, Dodrio, Persian, and Dugtrio. However, even with these flaws, Tentacruel is the tier's apex predator, with its utility and power making it a mandatory pick for competitive teams.
[SET]
name: Wrap Pivot
move 1: Wrap
move 2: Surf
move 3: Blizzard
move 4: Rest
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This is Tentacruel's defining set, capable of extracting nigh-unmatched amounts of value at every stage of the game. With its strong Blizzard and STAB Surf, Tentacruel is a consistent offensive threat, capable of 2HKOing Kangaskhan, Tangela, Venusaur, Dodrio, and Persian while OHKOing Aerodactyl, Dugtrio, and Dragonite. Even specially bulky targets like Hypno and Articuno lose roughly 30% of their health to Surf, possibly forcing an early Rest from Hypno—which a teammate like Kangaskhan, Dugtrio, Dodrio, Persian, or Dragonite can exploit—or chipping Articuno enough to stop it from sweeping. Tentacruel's fast Wrap accentuates this damage, allowing it to immobilize and chip away at slower targets, preventing them from retaliating or healing any damage they may have incurred. Additionally, Wrap allows even more offensively-threatening teammates, such as Dugtrio, Articuno, Persian, and Kangaskhan, a safe entry point to exploit the damage dealt by Tentacruel. Tentacruel's last move is Rest for two main reasons; firstly, Rest gives it general longevity in the face of damage and status, allowing it to remain an active presence throughout the game. Secondly, by running Rest, Tentacruel can better leverage its respectable special bulk and resistances to Water and Ice, switching into the likes of Articuno, Vaporeon, Omastar, and opposing Tentacruel throughout a game. The improved matchup against opposing Tentacruel is especially important in end-games, as a Tentacruel without Rest is typically at a significant disadvantage in the mirror matchup, as is the improved matchup against Articuno, since it can be very difficult to check Articuno if you do not have Rest on Tentacruel or a secondary Water-type that can handle Articuno, such as Dewgong, Omastar, or Vaporeon.
Tentacruel is a very versatile and flexible Pokemon; it can be an offensive weapon and revenge killer with its Speed and consistent damage output, a defensive piece with its respectable special bulk, resistances, and Rest, and it can be a pivot with Wrap to bring in its teammates. Getting Tentacruel onto the field safely as often as possible is vital to making the most of it, as is properly identifying whether using Wrap to chip foes and pivot is worth risking a miss, or if Tentacruel should fire off strong Surfs and Blizzards to break down the opposing team's defensive core instead. However, you have to balance this pivoting and offense with keeping Tentacruel healthy as an answer to Articuno and Water-types such as Vaporeon, Dewgong, and opposing Tentacruel as well. Flying- and Grass-types switching in to answer Dugtrio are two great opportunities to bring Tentacruel into play, as Tentacruel threatens to OHKO or 2HKO many of them with Blizzard. Another good entry opportunity is while opposing slow wallbreakers, such as Kangaskhan and Articuno, switch into a Hypno or Vaporeon asleep from Rest, as Tentacruel can regain momentum with Wrap before they can retaliate. Tentacruel can also make good use of sleeping foes, such as Hypno and Omastar, attempting to burn sleep turns, as it can deal significant damage with Surf while they are asleep before starting Wrap as they wake up, preventing them from retaliating or healing off damage sustained during Rest.
Given how versatile a threat Tentacruel is, it synergizes very well with many common threats in the tier. Sweepers and wallbreakers like Dugtrio, Kangaskhan, Gyarados, and Persian enjoy Tentacruel's Wrap allowing them to switch in safely, preserving their health and avoiding getting paralyzed by Thunder Wave, which in turn lets them come in later for another round of attacks. In return, they threaten to 2HKO common Tentacruel answers like Kadabra and Electabuzz. Dugtrio is particularly noteworthy, as it is immune to Thunder Wave intended to cripple Tentacruel, punishing the opposition heavily for trying with its STAB Earthquake, good coverage in Rock Slide and Slash, threat of Substitute catching a switch from the opponent, and high critical hit rate. One especially good place to pivot Dugtrio in with Wrap is against opposing Tentacruel, as it can KO Tentacruel extremely early with Earthquake. In return, Tentacruel outspeeds and threatens common Dugtrio answers like Tangela, Venusaur, Dragonite, and Kangaskhan, with Wrap immobilizing them and wearing them down into Surf or Blizzard range. Hypno is another fantastic teammate for Tentacruel, coming into common Tentacruel answers like Kadabra and Electabuzz and forcing them to switch out, lest they get paralyzed by Thunder Wave or put to sleep by Hypnosis. Either status makes them easy pickings for slower physical attackers like Kangaskhan, Gyarados, and Dragonite, as well as prevents them from checking Tentacruel thereafter. Hypno, when healthy, also can soft check other common Tentacruel answers like Persian and Aerodactyl with its strong Psychic and Thunder Wave. In exchange, Hypno benefits immensely from Tentacruel's ability to answer Pokemon that heavily punish a resting Hypno, such as Kangaskhan, Gyarados, Venusaur, Tangela, and Dragonite. Furthermore, Tentacruel's fast Wrap benefits Hypno immensely by baiting in Pokemon that Hypno checks, such as Electabuzz and Kadabra, before, crucially, letting Hypno switch into them without taking chip damage or paralysis on the way in.
Bulky Pokemon such as Kangaskhan, Gyarados, Vaporeon, Dragonite, and Dewgong also make for effective Tentacruel teammates. While healthy, they can switch into some of Tentacruel's common checks such as Persian and Dugtrio, ideally while they are immobilized by Tentacruel's Wrap, and threaten the opposing team with strong attacks and the threat of paralysis from either Body Slam or Thunder Wave in the case of Dragonite. They are also very adept at exploiting sleeping Rest users, such as Hypno, Vaporeon, Omastar, and Dewgong, that switch into Wrap to burn sleep turns while taking relatively little damage from Tentacruel's Wrap. Dewgong also grants the Tentacruel user an additional Articuno counter, as do Omastar and Vaporeon, which allows Tentacruel to play more aggressively without as much risk of Articuno getting out of hand. Dewgong further has a freeze immunity, which allows Tentacruel to avoid taking as many Blizzards from an opposing Tentacruel and reduces the chances that it gets frozen. Tangela, Victreebel, and Venusaur also make for very effective Tentacruel partners, as, while healthy, they answer Dugtrio, Persian, and Electabuzz, using the entry point to land a crippling Sleep Powder before providing additional value with their other utility moves. Meanwhile, Tentacruel acts as a decent answer to any Flying-types, such as Articuno, Dragonite, and Gyarados, that try to exploit Tangela, Victreebel, and Venusaur's lack of coverage moves.
Lastly, Flying-type teammates such as the aforementioned Gyarados and Dragonite, but also Aerodactyl, Articuno, and Dodrio, can benefit Tentacruel by checking Dugtrio with their immunity to Earthquake and strong attacks. Gyarados and Dragonite can switch into Dugtrio's Rock Slide two times, barring an untimely critical hit, before Dugtrio can threaten to 2HKO them as they switch in. Aerodactyl and Dodrio are less sturdy answers to Dugtrio, only taking a single Rock Slide before Dugtrio can 2HKO them; however, they can threaten Kadabra fairly well when it is chipped. Aerodactyl's high Speed stat is particularly noteworthy because, excluding the uncommon Electrode, it is the only Pokemon that can reliably revenge kill an unparalyzed Dugtrio without taking an attack in the process. Its Normal resistance is also useful when facing Dugtrio, as Dugtrio commonly uses Slash as an early-game midground option when scouting its opponent's team, and Aerodactyl takes Slash very comfortably. Articuno is unable to switch into Dugtrio's Rock Slide safely at all, being 2HKOed from full health by it, but, when above 58% health, it can force Dugtrio to switch out with its Blizzard if it can come in safely—such as on an Earthquake or from Tentacruel's Wrap—and if Dugtrio is not behind a Substitute.
Tentacruel’s good Speed tier and access to Wrap make it a common lead in RBY UU, outspeeding and locking down any slower lead, including Hypno, Haunter, and Venusaur. Wrap allows a safe pivot to a teammate to capitalize on the immobilized lead, or any teammates that the opposing player switches to, whenever the Tentacruel user dictates. For example, if your opponent switches to Clefable or Hypno and attempts to PP stall Wrap or fish for a miss to paralyze Tentacruel, you can pivot to a teammate such as Venusaur or Haunter and put a foe to sleep. As another example, if your opponent leads Haunter and stays in to fish for a Wrap miss and put Tentacruel to sleep with Hypnosis, you can go to Dugtrio and threaten to OHKO Haunter with Earthquake. This ability to pivot with Wrap puts the Tentacruel user at a significant advantage, as they have the initiative and control the pace of the game, which allows them to pick the best moment to switch while chipping down the opposing team. This advantage creates an intricate mind game. Opponents commonly respond to this advantage by switching to a Pokemon with paralysis that outspeeds or Speed ties Tentacruel such as Kadabra, Electabuzz, Raichu, or Electrode. These paralysis users pressure Tentacruel to quickly switch to a teammate, usually Hypno but possibly Dugtrio, before Wrap ends and the foe regains the initiative by freely threatening Tentacruel. If it hasn't started Wrap yet, Tentacruel may even hard switch instead of Wrap pivoting to avoid the risk of a Wrap miss. If Tentacruel hard switches, though, the opponent may predict this and, instead of bringing in a paralysis user, bring in their own Tentacruel to handle the incoming Hypno or Dugtrio. With the other Tentacruel possibly in play, the above mind game starts again. The original Tentacruel user may predict the opponent bringing in their opposing Tentacruel, causing the original user to bring in their own paralysis inducer, but the opponent may respond with their own Hypno or Dugtrio to beat the paralysis user, and so on.
When facing fast paralysis-inducing leads, such as Kadabra, Electabuzz, Raichu, and Electrode, Tentacruel will be forced to switch to a teammate to avoid getting paralyzed, thereby giving the opposing player a chance to paralyze some Pokemon with Thunder Wave or predict the switch and bring in a sleep inducer such as Haunter or Venusaur. Note that the same pressure to switch and cede initiative occurs if Tentacruel misses a Wrap against the fast paralysis inducer as it switches in, or if Wrap connects but the Tentacruel doesn't switch out before it ends. Against opposing Tentacruel leads, Tentacruel can go for a freeze with Blizzard while dealing some minor chip damage, use Surf to maximize chip damage to more quickly bring the opposing Tentacruel into KO range for Dugtrio or Persian, or use Wrap and pivot into a fast paralysis-inducing teammate. While Tentacruel is likely to win the matchup against lead Dodrio by using Blizzard, it only wins while avoiding paralysis about half the time, and it is almost always significantly weakened from the interaction, which can be very costly given how valuable Tentacruel is. It is better to switch to another teammate that checks Dodrio, such as Omastar or Aerodactyl. The matchup against Persian is similar; Tentacruel is statistically more likely to win the one-on-one but will be significantly weakened in the process, which is undesirable in many circumstances. When leading with Tentacruel, it can be beneficial to have a second Water-type in the back, ensuring you can take opposing Water- and Ice-type attacks in case Tentacruel gets chipped or compromised by status early on.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Surf
move 3: Wrap
move 4: Hyper Beam
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Swords Dance Tentacruel is a surprising and effective late-game sweeper that can effectively break past bulkier Pokemon that expect to comfortably check it. These include Vaporeon, Hypno, and opposing Tentacruel, with Swords Dance Tentacruel punishing them using Rest especially hard. This Tentacruel set also can be a mid-game pivot, but since it cannot afford to run Rest, a Wrap miss is often devastating, making mid-game pivoting risky. After one Swords Dance, Tentacruel's Wrap deals around 6% per turn to bulky targets such as Hypno, Gyarados, Kangaskhan, and Vaporeon, transforming from a pivoting move that deals chip damage to a potent wallbreaking tool that completely decimates paralyzed teams. Boosted Wrap quickly wears foes down into KO range of either Surf or Tentacruel's boosted Hyper Beam, which are reliable KO options against slower and bulkier Pokemon once they are slightly below half health, while leaving them unable to retaliate. This process normally forces the opponent to rely on Pokemon that outspeed Tentacruel to force it out, such as Kadabra, Electabuzz, Raichu, and Persian. However, none of these Pokemon can reliably switch into Tentacruel, as Tentacruel's boosted Hyper Beam can KO all of them after only a small amount of chip damage, or, in the case of Kadabra, no chip damage at all. When using Swords Dance to attempt a sweep, ensure that Tentacruel sets up against targets that are unable to status it or significantly harm it, such as sleeping targets looking to burn some sleep turns against Wrap, slower Pokemon looking to use a recovery move, or opposing Tentacruel looking to get a lucky freeze with Blizzard;&mdashthis mirror interaction is especially noteworthy in end-game positions, where Swords Dance Tentacruel dominates if it is reasonably healthy. It is important to recognize that these setup opportunities stem from opponents expecting Tentacruel to run its standard, less offensive set; take advantage whenever opponents make that wrong prediction and think they can tolerate being passive towards Tentacruel. Due to this set's increased vulnerability to status, it can be more difficult to bring in than the standard Wrap pivot set, often relying on resisted attacks, teammate Wrappers like Dragonite, and good double switching to come onto the field safely. Another notable, albeit uncommon, way of utilizing Swords Dance Tentacruel is as a mid-game wallbreaker, boosting its Attack against an opposing Tentacruel or Vaporeon that's burning Rest sleep turns to punch a large hole in the opposing team.
Swords Dance Tentacruel can be a challenging sweeper to use, often relying on its teammates to force the opponent into positions where it can safely use Swords Dance, as well as needing them to paralyze or KO any Pokemon that could stop its sweep. As mentioned before, sleeping Pokemon looking to burn a turn or two of sleep make excellent setup fodder; hence, Swords Dance Tentacruel pairs well with sleep inducers such as Haunter, Hypno, Venusaur, Victreebel, and Tangela. These five Pokemon also have defensive utility against foes that may stop Tentacruel's sweep as well, with Haunter walling opposing Persian, Venusaur, Victreebel, Tangela checking opposing Dugtrio, Raichu, Electabuzz, and Persian, Hypno crippling Kadabra, Electabuzz, Raichu, and Persian with Thunder Wave—allowing Tentacruel to sweep with Swords Dance-boosted Wrap unopposed. Seismic Toss Hypno is also an effective teammate for Swords Dance Tentacruel, as it can reliably force an opposing Hypno to use Rest, most commonly at around half health, which gifts Tentacruel an excellent opportunity to switch in and use Swords Dance. Dugtrio and Persian are two excellent teammates for Swords Dance Tentacruel, as they can exploit opposing Kadabra, Electabuzz, and Raichu attempting to stop Tentacruel's sweep, as well as clean up any remaining foes after Swords Dance Tentacruel's assault. Kangaskhan and Dragonite are two more solid partners for Swords Dance Tentacruel that can paralyze or KO Persian and Kadabra attempting to check Tentacruel. Another issue teams with this set often face is dealing with Articuno and opposing Tentacruel, as Swords Dance Tentacruel cannot reliably switch into them throughout the match due to its lack of Rest. Teammates such as Vaporeon, Omastar, and Dewgong can switch into Articuno and Tentacruel throughout the game.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While Tentacruel has a variety of other options, they are generally discouraged due to them either being very situational or making Tentacruel less consistent, which many team compositions cannot afford. Hydro Pump's increased power can be very appealing, as it achieves a guaranteed 3HKO on Hypno, a near-guaranteed 3HKO on Articuno, a guaranteed 2HKO on Persian, and a 2HKO against Kadabra 49.8% of the time; however, the worse accuracy and PP are very noticeable in prolonged games and make Tentacruel a much less consistent threat.
Hyper Beam can be a nice option on the Wrap Pivot set, allowing Tentacruel to pick off opposing Kadabra switching into it at 60% health, as well as hitting opposing Tentacruel for around 33% and opposing Dewgong and Vaporeon for roughly 27%. All of the latter three can be tough for Tentacruel to break past on its own. However, outside of those damage rolls, Hyper Beam doesn’t do that much for Tentacruel, making it hard to justify running over one of its standard moves.
Ice Beam grants Tentacruel more PP for freeze wars, increasing its chances of winning them. However, its drop in damage output from Blizzard is drastic, notably failing to OHKO Dragonite. Barrier can make Tentacruel take less damage from the wide array of physical moves, dodging the 2HKO from Kangaskhan's and Dugtrio's Earthquakes and allowing it to win those matchups; however, Barrier fails to assist it against Persian, which can ignore it with Slash and is one of the most popular physical attackers in the tier. Bubble Beam's 33.2% chance to drop Speed can come in handy against opposing Tentacruel and Persian, but in the vast majority of cases, Surf's higher damage is preferred. Mega Drain can be nice to hit Omastar or Golem with, as it allows Tentacruel to gain a significant amount of health back, but it otherwise has middling damage and hurts other matchups more than it helps.
On the Swords Dance set, Tentacruel can opt to run Blizzard over Surf to guarantee an OHKO on Dragonite and deal more damage to Grass-types, but this comes at the cost of a guaranteed OHKO on Dugtrio and a probable 2HKO on Persian and Kangaskhan, damage rolls that are often too valuable for Swords Dance Tentacruel to pass up on.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fast Paralysis Inducers**: Any paralysis inducer that outspeeds Tentacruel, such as Kadabra, Raichu, Electabuzz, or the rare Electrode, can be a very pressing issue for it. The chance of full paralysis leaves Tentacruel with a 63.57% chance to connect Wrap, sharply harming its pivoting and sweeping. The Speed drop further hinders its pivoting and leaves it vulnerable to slower threats like Hypno and Gyarados. Kadabra and Electabuzz, which avoid a 2HKO from Surf, can switch into Tentacruel directly and threaten it with Thunder Wave. They can create significant momentum if they switch into Tentacruel as Wrap misses. Even if Wrap hits, they can wait out the Wrap turns and threaten 2HKOs with their STAB moves. That being said, all these checks fear a critical hit Surf, which will deal at least 70%, letting another attack or a teammate KO them. Kadabra mitigates that risk with Recover, but using Recover lets its checks such as Hypno switch in. You can reduce the threat of Surf by switching a Water-resistant Pokemon into Tentacruel first, baiting it to lock into Wrap. This creates a switch-in opportunity for paralysis inducers, which can wait out the Wrap turns and threaten to cripple or break through Tentacruel.
**Haunter**: Haunter has enough bulk to avoid a 2HKO from Tentacruel's attacks 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, usually winning the matchup when Tentacruel is below 73%, as Thunderbolt will 2HKO Tentacruel from there. 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 usually, but not always, will KO Tentacruel from full health. Critical hits from Surf can deal severe damage to Haunter, in addition, likely forcing it to use Explosion regardless of Tentacruel's health.
**Fast Physical Attackers**: Fast physical attackers such as Dugtrio, Persian, and Dodrio are all reliable checks to Tentacruel, beating or matching its Speed and exploiting its mediocre physical bulk to KO it from very high health. Dugtrio can 2HKO Tentacruel with Earthquake, but its fragility makes Surf a guaranteed OHKO, so Dugtrio is limited to a revenge killing role. Tentacruel is pressured to stay at 80% HP or more, out of Earthquake's OHKO range, but this is a tall order in many situations. Dugtrio's Speed and strong Earthquake also let it halt the Wrap momentum of a chipped Tentacruel, coming in on Wrap and waiting it out before KOing the Tentacruel with Earthquake; however, this is usually a last resort option, as many common threats can heavily punish Dugtrio's frailty if they are reasonably healthy. Persian can threaten a reliable 2HKO with Slash against a Tentacruel at 90% or below. Unlike Dugtrio, however, Persian has enough bulk to survive a Surf—and fairly often two—making it more flexible than Dugtrio in threatening and/or chipping Tentacruel without getting KOed. While both Dodrio and Aerodactyl are reliably 2HKOed by Tentacruel's Surf and Blizzard, they both match or exceed Tentacruel’s Speed and can significantly damage it with Hyper Beam, allowing them to consistently threaten a KO against a a sufficiently weakened Tentacruel below 62% while at high health. Dodrio significantly improve the matchup if it manages to paralyze Tentacruel with a Body Slam or use Agility before Tentacruel comes onto the field, as a Body Slam followed by a Hyper Beam is guaranteed to KO Tentacruel.
**Water-types**: Without Swords Dance, Tentacruel often struggles to break through opposing Water-types, such as Vaporeon, Gyarados, Dewgong, or opposing Tentacruel, on its own. It has to rely on landing multiple Wraps in a row to feasibly break through them or get a lucky freeze from Blizzard, which won't even work for Dewgong, all while risking getting paralyzed by Body Slam, frozen by Blizzard, or eating a strong Thunderbolt or Hyper Beam from Gyarados.
**Tangela, Victreebel, and Dragonite**: While neither switch into Tentacruel's Surf very well, when at high health, Tangela, Victreebel, and Dragonite, can be difficult for Tentacruel to break past with their good special bulk. Tentacruel has to land multiple Wraps in a row to break past these three, while they are able to cripple it immediately with Stun Spore or Thunder Wave if it misses. While Tentacruel outspeeds them and 2HKOes and OHKOes them with Blizzard, respectively, both of these Pokemon are very good at luring in Tentacruel and paralyzing it as it switches in, which can cripple Tentacruel for the rest of the game. In addition, because these two Pokemon are slower than Tentacruel, they can act after it wakes up from Rest, paralyzing it before it can retaliate and then pivoting to a more aggressive teammate with Bind or Wrap.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Shellnuts, 491544], [pacattacc, 520967]]
- Earlier versions by: [[May, 236353], [Shellnuts, 491544], [Volk, 530877]]
- Quality checked by: [[May, 236353], [Volk, 530877]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [UT, 523866]]
Tentacruel is unquestionably the defining threat of RBY UU, shaping every facet of the tier and dictating the viability of many Pokemon. Access to Wrap combined with its incredible base 100 Speed gives it nigh-unmatched utility in nearly every game. Tentacruel's Wrap shapes the identity of RBY UU, defining offensive and defensive play in the tier. Wrap wears down foes and gains momentum by pivoting while they're immobilized, and Tentacruel's many strengths accentuate these positives. Its high Speed and Wrap give it the advantage in most one-on-one interactions: against any slower foe, Tentacruel can just use Wrap and switch as the move expires, giving its team free chip damage and a free switch. This strategy has no good short-term counterplay: switching a faster Pokemon or Haunter into Wrap won't let it punish Tentacruel, making it very hard to punish and gain momentum against Tentacruel. Tentacruel also easily switches in on the tier's many Surfs and Blizzards from threats like Vaporeon, Dewgong, and Articuno. With all these switch-in chances, Tentacruel gets on the field often, and since most Pokemon are slower and thus completely shut down by Wrap, Tentacruel is hard to force out too. This longevity and pressure is made even more potent if Tentacruel chooses to run Rest to stick around even longer and avoid getting worn down. All this field presence, chip damage, momentum, and safe pivoting for offensive teammates lets Tentacruel immensely pressure defensive Pokemon. Finally, not only does Wrap prevent defensive Pokemon from healing during its duration, but Tentacruel can run Swords Dance to emphasize this pressure even more.
Tentacruel's many positive attributes support its Wrap, but they also have their own critical applications. With its base 120 Special, which is tied for the second-highest in the tier, STAB Surf or Hydro Pump, and good coverage with Blizzard, Tentacruel is an offensive behemoth. Its STAB moves deal significant damage to Kangaskhan, Omastar, Haunter, and Kadabra, while Blizzard hits Dodrio, Dragonite, Venusaur, Victreebel, and Tangela hard, if it doesn't just OHKO them outright. This wide coverage with Tentacruel's high Speed allows it to act as a revenge killer, a sweeper, and a wallbreaker. If it chooses to run Swords Dance, Tentacruel becomes a nigh-unwallable late-game sweeper, demolishing slower teams with Wrap, Hyper Beam, and Surf with near impunity. Meanwhile, with Rest and the fantastic Water typing, Tentacruel becomes a key defensive piece. It checks Articuno, one of the most dangerous Pokemon in the tier, and answers the myriad of Surfs and Blizzards from the tier's many Water-types, such as Vaporeon, Gyarados, Omastar, Dewgong, and itself, giving it a defensive niche as well as an entry opportunity. Further, all the above niches and Wrap synergize with each other. Wrap chip damage bolsters Tentacruel's offensive pressure, and whenever Tentacruel comes in to exploit a positive offensive or defensive matchup, it gains another chance to use Wrap.
Despite all these positives, Tentacruel does have some very notable flaws. Its Poison typing, while making it immune to Toxic, gives it a glaring weakness to Psychic and Earthquake. These weaknesses make it hard to switch Tentacruel into Pokemon like Hypno and Kangaskhan, and they prevent it from staying in against Kadabra and Dugtrio, both of which outspeed Tentacruel and heavily damage it with their STAB moves. Another notable weakness of Tentacruel is its physical frailty, which can allow threats such as Persian and Aerodactyl to force Tentacruel out as well. Tentacruel is also severely crippled by paralysis, as the Speed drop and chance for full paralysis mid-Wrap heavily impact its utility. Lastly, Tentacruel's reliance on Rest to heal itself can be heavily punished by Psychic-types such as Kadabra and Hypno, Electric-types such as Raichu and Electabuzz, and physical attackers such as Kangaskhan, Dodrio, Persian, and Dugtrio. However, even with these flaws, Tentacruel is the tier's apex predator, with its utility and power making it a mandatory pick for competitive teams.
[SET]
name: Wrap Pivot
move 1: Wrap
move 2: Surf
move 3: Blizzard
move 4: Rest
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This is Tentacruel's defining set, capable of extracting nigh-unmatched amounts of value at every stage of the game. With its strong Blizzard and STAB Surf, Tentacruel is a consistent offensive threat, capable of 2HKOing Kangaskhan, Tangela, Venusaur, Dodrio, and Persian while OHKOing Aerodactyl, Dugtrio, and Dragonite. Even specially bulky targets like Hypno and Articuno lose roughly 30% of their health to Surf, possibly forcing an early Rest from Hypno—which a teammate like Kangaskhan, Dugtrio, Dodrio, Persian, or Dragonite can exploit—or chipping Articuno enough to stop it from sweeping. Tentacruel's fast Wrap accentuates this damage, allowing it to immobilize and chip away at slower targets, preventing them from retaliating or healing any damage they may have incurred. Additionally, Wrap allows even more offensively-threatening teammates, such as Dugtrio, Articuno, Persian, and Kangaskhan, a safe entry point to exploit the damage dealt by Tentacruel. Tentacruel's last move is Rest for two main reasons; firstly, Rest gives it general longevity in the face of damage and status, allowing it to remain an active presence throughout the game. Secondly, by running Rest, Tentacruel can better leverage its respectable special bulk and resistances to Water and Ice, switching into the likes of Articuno, Vaporeon, Omastar, and opposing Tentacruel throughout a game. The improved matchup against opposing Tentacruel is especially important in end-games, as a Tentacruel without Rest is typically at a significant disadvantage in the mirror matchup, as is the improved matchup against Articuno, since it can be very difficult to check Articuno if you do not have Rest on Tentacruel or a secondary Water-type that can handle Articuno, such as Dewgong, Omastar, or Vaporeon.
Tentacruel is a very versatile and flexible Pokemon; it can be an offensive weapon and revenge killer with its Speed and consistent damage output, a defensive piece with its respectable special bulk, resistances, and Rest, and it can be a pivot with Wrap to bring in its teammates. Getting Tentacruel onto the field safely as often as possible is vital to making the most of it, as is properly identifying whether using Wrap to chip foes and pivot is worth risking a miss, or if Tentacruel should fire off strong Surfs and Blizzards to break down the opposing team's defensive core instead. However, you have to balance this pivoting and offense with keeping Tentacruel healthy as an answer to Articuno and Water-types such as Vaporeon, Dewgong, and opposing Tentacruel as well. Flying- and Grass-types switching in to answer Dugtrio are two great opportunities to bring Tentacruel into play, as Tentacruel threatens to OHKO or 2HKO many of them with Blizzard. Another good entry opportunity is while opposing slow wallbreakers, such as Kangaskhan and Articuno, switch into a Hypno or Vaporeon asleep from Rest, as Tentacruel can regain momentum with Wrap before they can retaliate. Tentacruel can also make good use of sleeping foes, such as Hypno and Omastar, attempting to burn sleep turns, as it can deal significant damage with Surf while they are asleep before starting Wrap as they wake up, preventing them from retaliating or healing off damage sustained during Rest.
Given how versatile a threat Tentacruel is, it synergizes very well with many common threats in the tier. Sweepers and wallbreakers like Dugtrio, Kangaskhan, Gyarados, and Persian enjoy Tentacruel's Wrap allowing them to switch in safely, preserving their health and avoiding getting paralyzed by Thunder Wave, which in turn lets them come in later for another round of attacks. In return, they threaten to 2HKO common Tentacruel answers like Kadabra and Electabuzz. Dugtrio is particularly noteworthy, as it is immune to Thunder Wave intended to cripple Tentacruel, punishing the opposition heavily for trying with its STAB Earthquake, good coverage in Rock Slide and Slash, threat of Substitute catching a switch from the opponent, and high critical hit rate. One especially good place to pivot Dugtrio in with Wrap is against opposing Tentacruel, as it can KO Tentacruel extremely early with Earthquake. In return, Tentacruel outspeeds and threatens common Dugtrio answers like Tangela, Venusaur, Dragonite, and Kangaskhan, with Wrap immobilizing them and wearing them down into Surf or Blizzard range. Hypno is another fantastic teammate for Tentacruel, coming into common Tentacruel answers like Kadabra and Electabuzz and forcing them to switch out, lest they get paralyzed by Thunder Wave or put to sleep by Hypnosis. Either status makes them easy pickings for slower physical attackers like Kangaskhan, Gyarados, and Dragonite, as well as prevents them from checking Tentacruel thereafter. Hypno, when healthy, also can soft check other common Tentacruel answers like Persian and Aerodactyl with its strong Psychic and Thunder Wave. In exchange, Hypno benefits immensely from Tentacruel's ability to answer Pokemon that heavily punish a resting Hypno, such as Kangaskhan, Gyarados, Venusaur, Tangela, and Dragonite. Furthermore, Tentacruel's fast Wrap benefits Hypno immensely by baiting in Pokemon that Hypno checks, such as Electabuzz and Kadabra, before, crucially, letting Hypno switch into them without taking chip damage or paralysis on the way in.
Bulky Pokemon such as Kangaskhan, Gyarados, Vaporeon, Dragonite, and Dewgong also make for effective Tentacruel teammates. While healthy, they can switch into some of Tentacruel's common checks such as Persian and Dugtrio, ideally while they are immobilized by Tentacruel's Wrap, and threaten the opposing team with strong attacks and the threat of paralysis from either Body Slam or Thunder Wave in the case of Dragonite. They are also very adept at exploiting sleeping Rest users, such as Hypno, Vaporeon, Omastar, and Dewgong, that switch into Wrap to burn sleep turns while taking relatively little damage from Tentacruel's Wrap. Dewgong also grants the Tentacruel user an additional Articuno counter, as do Omastar and Vaporeon, which allows Tentacruel to play more aggressively without as much risk of Articuno getting out of hand. Dewgong further has a freeze immunity, which allows Tentacruel to avoid taking as many Blizzards from an opposing Tentacruel and reduces the chances that it gets frozen. Tangela, Victreebel, and Venusaur also make for very effective Tentacruel partners, as, while healthy, they answer Dugtrio, Persian, and Electabuzz, using the entry point to land a crippling Sleep Powder before providing additional value with their other utility moves. Meanwhile, Tentacruel acts as a decent answer to any Flying-types, such as Articuno, Dragonite, and Gyarados, that try to exploit Tangela, Victreebel, and Venusaur's lack of coverage moves.
Lastly, Flying-type teammates such as the aforementioned Gyarados and Dragonite, but also Aerodactyl, Articuno, and Dodrio, can benefit Tentacruel by checking Dugtrio with their immunity to Earthquake and strong attacks. Gyarados and Dragonite can switch into Dugtrio's Rock Slide two times, barring an untimely critical hit, before Dugtrio can threaten to 2HKO them as they switch in. Aerodactyl and Dodrio are less sturdy answers to Dugtrio, only taking a single Rock Slide before Dugtrio can 2HKO them; however, they can threaten Kadabra fairly well when it is chipped. Aerodactyl's high Speed stat is particularly noteworthy because, excluding the uncommon Electrode, it is the only Pokemon that can reliably revenge kill an unparalyzed Dugtrio without taking an attack in the process. Its Normal resistance is also useful when facing Dugtrio, as Dugtrio commonly uses Slash as an early-game midground option when scouting its opponent's team, and Aerodactyl takes Slash very comfortably. Articuno is unable to switch into Dugtrio's Rock Slide safely at all, being 2HKOed from full health by it, but, when above 58% health, it can force Dugtrio to switch out with its Blizzard if it can come in safely—such as on an Earthquake or from Tentacruel's Wrap—and if Dugtrio is not behind a Substitute.
Tentacruel’s good Speed tier and access to Wrap make it a common lead in RBY UU, outspeeding and locking down any slower lead, including Hypno, Haunter, and Venusaur. Wrap allows a safe pivot to a teammate to capitalize on the immobilized lead, or any teammates that the opposing player switches to, whenever the Tentacruel user dictates. For example, if your opponent switches to Clefable or Hypno and attempts to PP stall Wrap or fish for a miss to paralyze Tentacruel, you can pivot to a teammate such as Venusaur or Haunter and put a foe to sleep. As another example, if your opponent leads Haunter and stays in to fish for a Wrap miss and put Tentacruel to sleep with Hypnosis, you can go to Dugtrio and threaten to OHKO Haunter with Earthquake. This ability to pivot with Wrap puts the Tentacruel user at a significant advantage, as they have the initiative and control the pace of the game, which allows them to pick the best moment to switch while chipping down the opposing team. This advantage creates an intricate mind game. Opponents commonly respond to this advantage by switching to a Pokemon with paralysis that outspeeds or Speed ties Tentacruel such as Kadabra, Electabuzz, Raichu, or Electrode. These paralysis users pressure Tentacruel to quickly switch to a teammate, usually Hypno but possibly Dugtrio, before Wrap ends and the foe regains the initiative by freely threatening Tentacruel. If it hasn't started Wrap yet, Tentacruel may even hard switch instead of Wrap pivoting to avoid the risk of a Wrap miss. If Tentacruel hard switches, though, the opponent may predict this and, instead of bringing in a paralysis user, bring in their own Tentacruel to handle the incoming Hypno or Dugtrio. With the other Tentacruel possibly in play, the above mind game starts again. The original Tentacruel user may predict the opponent bringing in their opposing Tentacruel, causing the original user to bring in their own paralysis inducer, but the opponent may respond with their own Hypno or Dugtrio to beat the paralysis user, and so on.
When facing fast paralysis-inducing leads, such as Kadabra, Electabuzz, Raichu, and Electrode, Tentacruel will be forced to switch to a teammate to avoid getting paralyzed, thereby giving the opposing player a chance to paralyze some Pokemon with Thunder Wave or predict the switch and bring in a sleep inducer such as Haunter or Venusaur. Note that the same pressure to switch and cede initiative occurs if Tentacruel misses a Wrap against the fast paralysis inducer as it switches in, or if Wrap connects but the Tentacruel doesn't switch out before it ends. Against opposing Tentacruel leads, Tentacruel can go for a freeze with Blizzard while dealing some minor chip damage, use Surf to maximize chip damage to more quickly bring the opposing Tentacruel into KO range for Dugtrio or Persian, or use Wrap and pivot into a fast paralysis-inducing teammate. While Tentacruel is likely to win the matchup against lead Dodrio by using Blizzard, it only wins while avoiding paralysis about half the time, and it is almost always significantly weakened from the interaction, which can be very costly given how valuable Tentacruel is. It is better to switch to another teammate that checks Dodrio, such as Omastar or Aerodactyl. The matchup against Persian is similar; Tentacruel is statistically more likely to win the one-on-one but will be significantly weakened in the process, which is undesirable in many circumstances. When leading with Tentacruel, it can be beneficial to have a second Water-type in the back, ensuring you can take opposing Water- and Ice-type attacks in case Tentacruel gets chipped or compromised by status early on.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Surf
move 3: Wrap
move 4: Hyper Beam
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Swords Dance Tentacruel is a surprising and effective late-game sweeper that can effectively break past bulkier Pokemon that expect to comfortably check it. These include Vaporeon, Hypno, and opposing Tentacruel, with Swords Dance Tentacruel punishing them using Rest especially hard. This Tentacruel set also can be a mid-game pivot, but since it cannot afford to run Rest, a Wrap miss is often devastating, making mid-game pivoting risky. After one Swords Dance, Tentacruel's Wrap deals around 6% per turn to bulky targets such as Hypno, Gyarados, Kangaskhan, and Vaporeon, transforming from a pivoting move that deals chip damage to a potent wallbreaking tool that completely decimates paralyzed teams. Boosted Wrap quickly wears foes down into KO range of either Surf or Tentacruel's boosted Hyper Beam, which are reliable KO options against slower and bulkier Pokemon once they are slightly below half health, while leaving them unable to retaliate. This process normally forces the opponent to rely on Pokemon that outspeed Tentacruel to force it out, such as Kadabra, Electabuzz, Raichu, and Persian. However, none of these Pokemon can reliably switch into Tentacruel, as Tentacruel's boosted Hyper Beam can KO all of them after only a small amount of chip damage, or, in the case of Kadabra, no chip damage at all. When using Swords Dance to attempt a sweep, ensure that Tentacruel sets up against targets that are unable to status it or significantly harm it, such as sleeping targets looking to burn some sleep turns against Wrap, slower Pokemon looking to use a recovery move, or opposing Tentacruel looking to get a lucky freeze with Blizzard;&mdashthis mirror interaction is especially noteworthy in end-game positions, where Swords Dance Tentacruel dominates if it is reasonably healthy. It is important to recognize that these setup opportunities stem from opponents expecting Tentacruel to run its standard, less offensive set; take advantage whenever opponents make that wrong prediction and think they can tolerate being passive towards Tentacruel. Due to this set's increased vulnerability to status, it can be more difficult to bring in than the standard Wrap pivot set, often relying on resisted attacks, teammate Wrappers like Dragonite, and good double switching to come onto the field safely. Another notable, albeit uncommon, way of utilizing Swords Dance Tentacruel is as a mid-game wallbreaker, boosting its Attack against an opposing Tentacruel or Vaporeon that's burning Rest sleep turns to punch a large hole in the opposing team.
Swords Dance Tentacruel can be a challenging sweeper to use, often relying on its teammates to force the opponent into positions where it can safely use Swords Dance, as well as needing them to paralyze or KO any Pokemon that could stop its sweep. As mentioned before, sleeping Pokemon looking to burn a turn or two of sleep make excellent setup fodder; hence, Swords Dance Tentacruel pairs well with sleep inducers such as Haunter, Hypno, Venusaur, Victreebel, and Tangela. These five Pokemon also have defensive utility against foes that may stop Tentacruel's sweep as well, with Haunter walling opposing Persian, Venusaur, Victreebel, Tangela checking opposing Dugtrio, Raichu, Electabuzz, and Persian, Hypno crippling Kadabra, Electabuzz, Raichu, and Persian with Thunder Wave—allowing Tentacruel to sweep with Swords Dance-boosted Wrap unopposed. Seismic Toss Hypno is also an effective teammate for Swords Dance Tentacruel, as it can reliably force an opposing Hypno to use Rest, most commonly at around half health, which gifts Tentacruel an excellent opportunity to switch in and use Swords Dance. Dugtrio and Persian are two excellent teammates for Swords Dance Tentacruel, as they can exploit opposing Kadabra, Electabuzz, and Raichu attempting to stop Tentacruel's sweep, as well as clean up any remaining foes after Swords Dance Tentacruel's assault. Kangaskhan and Dragonite are two more solid partners for Swords Dance Tentacruel that can paralyze or KO Persian and Kadabra attempting to check Tentacruel. Another issue teams with this set often face is dealing with Articuno and opposing Tentacruel, as Swords Dance Tentacruel cannot reliably switch into them throughout the match due to its lack of Rest. Teammates such as Vaporeon, Omastar, and Dewgong can switch into Articuno and Tentacruel throughout the game.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While Tentacruel has a variety of other options, they are generally discouraged due to them either being very situational or making Tentacruel less consistent, which many team compositions cannot afford. Hydro Pump's increased power can be very appealing, as it achieves a guaranteed 3HKO on Hypno, a near-guaranteed 3HKO on Articuno, a guaranteed 2HKO on Persian, and a 2HKO against Kadabra 49.8% of the time; however, the worse accuracy and PP are very noticeable in prolonged games and make Tentacruel a much less consistent threat.
Hyper Beam can be a nice option on the Wrap Pivot set, allowing Tentacruel to pick off opposing Kadabra switching into it at 60% health, as well as hitting opposing Tentacruel for around 33% and opposing Dewgong and Vaporeon for roughly 27%. All of the latter three can be tough for Tentacruel to break past on its own. However, outside of those damage rolls, Hyper Beam doesn’t do that much for Tentacruel, making it hard to justify running over one of its standard moves.
Ice Beam grants Tentacruel more PP for freeze wars, increasing its chances of winning them. However, its drop in damage output from Blizzard is drastic, notably failing to OHKO Dragonite. Barrier can make Tentacruel take less damage from the wide array of physical moves, dodging the 2HKO from Kangaskhan's and Dugtrio's Earthquakes and allowing it to win those matchups; however, Barrier fails to assist it against Persian, which can ignore it with Slash and is one of the most popular physical attackers in the tier. Bubble Beam's 33.2% chance to drop Speed can come in handy against opposing Tentacruel and Persian, but in the vast majority of cases, Surf's higher damage is preferred. Mega Drain can be nice to hit Omastar or Golem with, as it allows Tentacruel to gain a significant amount of health back, but it otherwise has middling damage and hurts other matchups more than it helps.
On the Swords Dance set, Tentacruel can opt to run Blizzard over Surf to guarantee an OHKO on Dragonite and deal more damage to Grass-types, but this comes at the cost of a guaranteed OHKO on Dugtrio and a probable 2HKO on Persian and Kangaskhan, damage rolls that are often too valuable for Swords Dance Tentacruel to pass up on.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fast Paralysis Inducers**: Any paralysis inducer that outspeeds Tentacruel, such as Kadabra, Raichu, Electabuzz, or the rare Electrode, can be a very pressing issue for it. The chance of full paralysis leaves Tentacruel with a 63.57% chance to connect Wrap, sharply harming its pivoting and sweeping. The Speed drop further hinders its pivoting and leaves it vulnerable to slower threats like Hypno and Gyarados. Kadabra and Electabuzz, which avoid a 2HKO from Surf, can switch into Tentacruel directly and threaten it with Thunder Wave. They can create significant momentum if they switch into Tentacruel as Wrap misses. Even if Wrap hits, they can wait out the Wrap turns and threaten 2HKOs with their STAB moves. That being said, all these checks fear a critical hit Surf, which will deal at least 70%, letting another attack or a teammate KO them. Kadabra mitigates that risk with Recover, but using Recover lets its checks such as Hypno switch in. You can reduce the threat of Surf by switching a Water-resistant Pokemon into Tentacruel first, baiting it to lock into Wrap. This creates a switch-in opportunity for paralysis inducers, which can wait out the Wrap turns and threaten to cripple or break through Tentacruel.
**Haunter**: Haunter has enough bulk to avoid a 2HKO from Tentacruel's attacks 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, usually winning the matchup when Tentacruel is below 73%, as Thunderbolt will 2HKO Tentacruel from there. 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 usually, but not always, will KO Tentacruel from full health. Critical hits from Surf can deal severe damage to Haunter, in addition, likely forcing it to use Explosion regardless of Tentacruel's health.
**Fast Physical Attackers**: Fast physical attackers such as Dugtrio, Persian, and Dodrio are all reliable checks to Tentacruel, beating or matching its Speed and exploiting its mediocre physical bulk to KO it from very high health. Dugtrio can 2HKO Tentacruel with Earthquake, but its fragility makes Surf a guaranteed OHKO, so Dugtrio is limited to a revenge killing role. Tentacruel is pressured to stay at 80% HP or more, out of Earthquake's OHKO range, but this is a tall order in many situations. Dugtrio's Speed and strong Earthquake also let it halt the Wrap momentum of a chipped Tentacruel, coming in on Wrap and waiting it out before KOing the Tentacruel with Earthquake; however, this is usually a last resort option, as many common threats can heavily punish Dugtrio's frailty if they are reasonably healthy. Persian can threaten a reliable 2HKO with Slash against a Tentacruel at 90% or below. Unlike Dugtrio, however, Persian has enough bulk to survive a Surf—and fairly often two—making it more flexible than Dugtrio in threatening and/or chipping Tentacruel without getting KOed. While both Dodrio and Aerodactyl are reliably 2HKOed by Tentacruel's Surf and Blizzard, they both match or exceed Tentacruel’s Speed and can significantly damage it with Hyper Beam, allowing them to consistently threaten a KO against a a sufficiently weakened Tentacruel below 62% while at high health. Dodrio significantly improve the matchup if it manages to paralyze Tentacruel with a Body Slam or use Agility before Tentacruel comes onto the field, as a Body Slam followed by a Hyper Beam is guaranteed to KO Tentacruel.
**Water-types**: Without Swords Dance, Tentacruel often struggles to break through opposing Water-types, such as Vaporeon, Gyarados, Dewgong, or opposing Tentacruel, on its own. It has to rely on landing multiple Wraps in a row to feasibly break through them or get a lucky freeze from Blizzard, which won't even work for Dewgong, all while risking getting paralyzed by Body Slam, frozen by Blizzard, or eating a strong Thunderbolt or Hyper Beam from Gyarados.
**Tangela, Victreebel, and Dragonite**: While neither switch into Tentacruel's Surf very well, when at high health, Tangela, Victreebel, and Dragonite, can be difficult for Tentacruel to break past with their good special bulk. Tentacruel has to land multiple Wraps in a row to break past these three, while they are able to cripple it immediately with Stun Spore or Thunder Wave if it misses. While Tentacruel outspeeds them and 2HKOes and OHKOes them with Blizzard, respectively, both of these Pokemon are very good at luring in Tentacruel and paralyzing it as it switches in, which can cripple Tentacruel for the rest of the game. In addition, because these two Pokemon are slower than Tentacruel, they can act after it wakes up from Rest, paralyzing it before it can retaliate and then pivoting to a more aggressive teammate with Bind or Wrap.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Shellnuts, 491544], [pacattacc, 520967]]
- Earlier versions by: [[May, 236353], [Shellnuts, 491544], [Volk, 530877]]
- Quality checked by: [[May, 236353], [Volk, 530877]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [UT, 523866]]
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