[OVERVIEW]
Tentacruel is a role-compression extraordinaire, with access to a myriad of utility moves like Knock Off, Rapid Spin, and Haze all in a neatly packed bulky Water-type that is immune to Toxic and can pivot with Flip Turn. Tentacruel's typing lets it take on many threats like Paldean Tauros-F, Inteleon, and Sylveon. Tentacruel also has a niche in thwarting HP-draining attacks like Uxie's Draining Kiss and Brambleghast's Strength Sap thanks to Liquid Ooze. Although Tentacruel boasts a lot of utility options, it's quite passive and can often get overwhelmed attempting to make use of every support move in a battle. Because of this, Tentacruel is best used as a bulky pivot to allow powerful wallbreakers like Porygon-Z and Flamigo to hit the field safely. Despite its great typing and Special Defense, Tentacruel's lack of recovery and poor physical bulk often leave it getting overwhelmed quite easily.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Flip Turn
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Haze / Toxic / Toxic Spikes / Sludge Bomb
item: Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Liquid Ooze
nature: Jolly / Timid
evs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 Spe
tera type: Dark
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Tentacruel may want to delay using Rapid Spin if it has been hit with Leech Seed, as this will deal constant damage to the foe. Knock Off is Tentacruel's primary way of not being entirely passive, removing Heavy-Duty Boots and Leftovers from Pokemon that can switch into it like Swampert and Klefki. Haze disrupts bulky setup sweepers. Toxic achieves a similar goal, but Tentacruel must be wary of Tera Poison and Steel commonly seen on bulky setup sweepers like Calm Mind Sylveon and Scrafty. Toxic is also useless against the many bulky Steel-types like Bronzong and Registeel using Iron Defense + Body Press, Poison-types like Overqwil and Toxicroak, and Substitute users like Uxie and Paldean Tauros-W. Toxic Spikes make pivots into Tentacruel riskier, especially if it has previously removed Heavy-Duty Boots; however, the metagame is teaming with airborne foes, grounded Poison-types, and Heavy-Duty Boots users. Lastly, Sludge Bomb gives Tentacruel a means of dealing out any meaningful damage, letting it 2HKO Grass-types like Tsareena and Breloom that can otherwise take advantage of Tentacruel and threaten frailer offensive threats like Paldean Tauros-W and Porygon-Z. The given EV spread lets it outpace base 85 Speed Pokemon like Heracross and Overqwil, although this can be lowered to only outspeed foes with base 80 Speed and below like Chandelure, Basculegion-M, and Milotic or raised to outspeed even the likes of Porygon-Z and Hisuian Typhlosion.
Tentacruel's ability to pivot in and out of play easily facilitates frail wallbreakers like Porygon-Z, Flamigo, and Breloom, which can take advantage of bulky Water-types that often switch in on Tentacruel like Vaporeon, Milotic, and Gastrodon. Bronzong and Orthworm pair well with Tentacruel, serving as Ground-immune and Psychic-resistant Pokemon that can set up entry hazards for Tentacruel. They also appreciate Tentacruel's Fire resistance, allowing it to check threats like Chandelure and Infernape. Offensive pivots such as Flygon and Kilowattrel are two Ground-immune Pokemon that also offer an Electric immunity for Tentacruel as well. Defensive pivots like Gligar and Incineroar form nice VoltTurn cores with Tentacruel, and their respective immense physical bulk and Intimidate compensate for Tentacruel's poor Defense. Wish users like Sylveon and Florges can keep Tentacruel healthy as it sponges Poison-type attacks for them and bothers Amoonguss.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Tentacruel can use Acid Spray as a way to combat bulky setup sweepers such as Scrafty and Vaporeon while still retaining a sliver of an offensive presence. Using its defensive typing and Speed boost from Rapid Spin, Tentacruel can use Swords Dance with powerful physical moves like Gunk Shot and Knock Off, even ignoring Intimidate via Clear Body. Tentacruel's other ability, Rain Dish, can let it take advantage of either the opponent's rain or find itself on a rain team.
Checks and Counters
====
**Ground-types**: Although Tentacruel is a Water-type, with only a weak Flip Turn in its arsenal, many Ground-types like Flygon and Swampert can safely pivot into Tentacruel and threaten to OHKO it with Earthquake.
**Item Removal**: Without Leftovers or Heavy-Duty Boots, Tentacruel has no method of recovery and will fail as a long-term pivot and entry hazard remover, making it quite reliant on its item. Even Pokemon it's meant to check like Infernape and opposing Tentacruel can dissuade Tentacruel from coming in for fear of Knock Off.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/stories.400664/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lucario.189361/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/roxie.481576/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Tentacruel is a role-compression extraordinaire, with access to a myriad of utility moves like Knock Off, Rapid Spin, and Haze all in a neatly packed bulky Water-type that is immune to Toxic and can pivot with Flip Turn. Tentacruel's typing lets it take on many threats like Paldean Tauros-F, Inteleon, and Sylveon. Tentacruel also has a niche in thwarting HP-draining attacks like Uxie's Draining Kiss and Brambleghast's Strength Sap thanks to Liquid Ooze. Although Tentacruel boasts a lot of utility options, it's quite passive and can often get overwhelmed attempting to make use of every support move in a battle. Because of this, Tentacruel is best used as a bulky pivot to allow powerful wallbreakers like Porygon-Z and Flamigo to hit the field safely. Despite its great typing and Special Defense, Tentacruel's lack of recovery and poor physical bulk often leave it getting overwhelmed quite easily.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Flip Turn
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Haze / Toxic / Toxic Spikes / Sludge Bomb
item: Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Liquid Ooze
nature: Jolly / Timid
evs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 Spe
tera type: Dark
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Tentacruel may want to delay using Rapid Spin if it has been hit with Leech Seed, as this will deal constant damage to the foe. Knock Off is Tentacruel's primary way of not being entirely passive, removing Heavy-Duty Boots and Leftovers from Pokemon that can switch into it like Swampert and Klefki. Haze disrupts bulky setup sweepers. Toxic achieves a similar goal, but Tentacruel must be wary of Tera Poison and Steel commonly seen on bulky setup sweepers like Calm Mind Sylveon and Scrafty. Toxic is also useless against the many bulky Steel-types like Bronzong and Registeel using Iron Defense + Body Press, Poison-types like Overqwil and Toxicroak, and Substitute users like Uxie and Paldean Tauros-W. Toxic Spikes make pivots into Tentacruel riskier, especially if it has previously removed Heavy-Duty Boots; however, the metagame is teaming with airborne foes, grounded Poison-types, and Heavy-Duty Boots users. Lastly, Sludge Bomb gives Tentacruel a means of dealing out any meaningful damage, letting it 2HKO Grass-types like Tsareena and Breloom that can otherwise take advantage of Tentacruel and threaten frailer offensive threats like Paldean Tauros-W and Porygon-Z. The given EV spread lets it outpace base 85 Speed Pokemon like Heracross and Overqwil, although this can be lowered to only outspeed foes with base 80 Speed and below like Chandelure, Basculegion-M, and Milotic or raised to outspeed even the likes of Porygon-Z and Hisuian Typhlosion.
Tentacruel's ability to pivot in and out of play easily facilitates frail wallbreakers like Porygon-Z, Flamigo, and Breloom, which can take advantage of bulky Water-types that often switch in on Tentacruel like Vaporeon, Milotic, and Gastrodon. Bronzong and Orthworm pair well with Tentacruel, serving as Ground-immune and Psychic-resistant Pokemon that can set up entry hazards for Tentacruel. They also appreciate Tentacruel's Fire resistance, allowing it to check threats like Chandelure and Infernape. Offensive pivots such as Flygon and Kilowattrel are two Ground-immune Pokemon that also offer an Electric immunity for Tentacruel as well. Defensive pivots like Gligar and Incineroar form nice VoltTurn cores with Tentacruel, and their respective immense physical bulk and Intimidate compensate for Tentacruel's poor Defense. Wish users like Sylveon and Florges can keep Tentacruel healthy as it sponges Poison-type attacks for them and bothers Amoonguss.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Tentacruel can use Acid Spray as a way to combat bulky setup sweepers such as Scrafty and Vaporeon while still retaining a sliver of an offensive presence. Using its defensive typing and Speed boost from Rapid Spin, Tentacruel can use Swords Dance with powerful physical moves like Gunk Shot and Knock Off, even ignoring Intimidate via Clear Body. Tentacruel's other ability, Rain Dish, can let it take advantage of either the opponent's rain or find itself on a rain team.
Checks and Counters
====
**Ground-types**: Although Tentacruel is a Water-type, with only a weak Flip Turn in its arsenal, many Ground-types like Flygon and Swampert can safely pivot into Tentacruel and threaten to OHKO it with Earthquake.
**Item Removal**: Without Leftovers or Heavy-Duty Boots, Tentacruel has no method of recovery and will fail as a long-term pivot and entry hazard remover, making it quite reliant on its item. Even Pokemon it's meant to check like Infernape and opposing Tentacruel can dissuade Tentacruel from coming in for fear of Knock Off.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/stories.400664/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lucario.189361/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/roxie.481576/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited by a moderator:
