
[OVERVIEW]
With incredible Special Defense, an excellent defensive typing that allows it to deal with threats like Primarina, Keldeo, and Celesteela, and the distinction of being one of the only viable Rapid Spin users in the tier, Tentacruel is a solid option for many balance and bulky offense teams. Its base 100 Speed and wide utility movepool that includes options like Knock Off and Haze allows it to outspeed threats like Nidoking and Chandelure and trade with top threats like Keldeo. While its Special Defense is excellent, its Defense and HP are fairly poor, making it difficult for Tentacruel to switch into strong physical attackers like Lycanroc-D and Buzzwole. This is further worsened by Tentacruel's mediocre attacking stats making it difficult to acquire KOs and leaving it overly reliant on status, which worsen its matchup against foes like Buzzwole and setup sweepers like Galarian Moltres and Azelf. These weaknesses also put Tentacruel at a disadvantage against entry hazard setters like Krookodile, Nidoqueen, and Seismitoad, which can handle Scald, and make it difficult to remove entry hazards.
[SET]
name: Defensive Spinner
move 1: Scald
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Black Sludge
ability: Liquid Ooze
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Sludge Bomb prevents Tentacruel from being too passive and hits foes such as Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, and Azumarill. It also has a chance to poison, which is useful for crippling threats like Salamence and Suicune. Rapid Spin can provide a boost to Tentacruel's Speed, letting it outspeed common Pokemon like Lycanroc-D, Noivern, and Azelf. Knock Off cripples checks like Seismitoad and Gastrodon. Haze allows Tentacruel to shut down setup sweepers like Clangorous Soul Kommo-o, Calm Mind Primarina, and Belly Drum Azumarill, which can take advantage of its passivity. Black Sludge gives Tentacruel a form of recovery, which it completely lacks otherwise. Liquid Ooze punishes draining moves such as Leech Seed, allowing it to deal passive damage to foes that rely on these moves for recovery, like Celesteela and Amoonguss. A Timid nature and 144 Speed EVs allow Tentacruel to outspeed Mamoswine, Chandelure, and maximum Speed Rotom-W. The rest of the EVs are put into Defense to more easily deal with Lycanroc-D and Azumarill.
Tentacruel is best used on balance and bulky offense teams that appreciate its ability to remove entry hazards. Entry hazard setters like Jirachi, Rhyperior, and Krookodile benefit greatly from Tentacruel removing Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off and clearing entry hazards solely from its side of the field, which let them fully capitalize on their entry hazards. Krookodile also sports crucial immunities to Electric and Psychic, which allow it to check foes like Thundurus and Galarian Slowbro for Tentacruel. Grass-types like Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu provide switch-ins to some of Tentacruel's biggest checks such as Thundurus-T, Raikou, and Krookodile. The latter can also set up Grassy Terrain, which provides Tentacruel with another source of recovery and weakens Earthquake. Sylveon provides Wish support for Tentacruel, another form of recovery, and acts as a secondary check to Buzzwole and Keldeo. Pokemon like Salamence, Moltres, and Rotom-H appreciate Tentacruel's Rapid Spin allowing them to forego Defog. Steel-types like Aegislash and Jirachi are greatly valued as partners for Tentacruel, as they can check Psychic- and Dragon-types like Reuniclus and Kommo-o, which Tentacruel struggles with.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Toxic Spikes can be used to give Tentacruel its own method of setting up entry hazards, but it is unreliable due to the prevalence of Heavy-Duty Boots and Amoonguss. Toxic lets Tentacruel cripple switch-ins such as Seismitoad and Salamence but is hard to fit. A more physically defensive EV spread of 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spe with a Bold nature is an option to check physical attackers like Lycanroc-D and Buzzwole more effectively, but the decrease in Speed will result in Tentacruel getting outsped by threats like Mamoswine and Rotom-H. Clear Body can be used to better counter Sticky Web teams, but is not very useful otherwise.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Electric types such as Thundurus-T, Raikou, and Rotom-W severely dent Tentacruel with their STAB attacks. The latter two can also easily use Volt Switch on Tentacruel to generate free momentum.
**Ground-types**: Krookodile easily OHKOes Tentacruel with Earthquake, although it doesn't like having to take a Scald in the process. Seismitoad and Gastrodon are immune to Scald and resistant to Sludge Bomb, which means Tentacruel can only force progress by fishing for poison against them. Gastrodon also has reliable recovery, which makes fishing for poison even more ineffective.
**Dragon-types**: Kommo-o can easily switch into Tentacruel and force it out. Salamence and Noivern can also switch into it easily, although Tentacruel does have enough special bulk to stay in against them and remove their Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off.
**Psychic-types**: Hatterene, Reuniclus, and Necrozma easily OHKO Tentacruel with Psyshock or Photon Geyser, although Hatterene doesn't like taking a Sludge Bomb, and both Reuniclus and Necrozma don't like taking a Knock Off. Galarian Slowbro is especially troublesome for Tentacruel, as it cannot be poisoned and can easily set up on Tentacruel with Calm Mind.
**Physical Attackers**: Conkeldurr, Lycanroc-D, and Gyarados can muscle through Tentacruel due to its poor Defense. The former is especially dangerous, as unlike the latter two, it doesn't have to fear getting burned by Scald.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[StarFalcon555, 540058]]
- Quality checked by: [[martha, 384270] ], [Twilight, 344575], [Hilomilo, 313384]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Bandkrook, 301217], [DC, 449990]]
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