Community POTW #42

[BionicToaster]

These could be usable...

Cruel Stall
Item: Black Sludge
Ability: Rain Dish
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)/Calm(+SpD, - Atk)
EVs: 252 HP/64 Def/192 SpD
-Toxic
-Aqua Ring
-Barrier
-Scald

Obviously needs Politoed's Drizzle support for Rain Dish to activate. Come in on the Hydreigon/Politoed/WhatevercarriesSpecs Focus Blast and set up a Barrier on the switch. With a Bold nature, your Defense is 400 after a Barrier. Then use Aqua Ring. You now have very nice defenses, a toxic/Scald Burn at your disposal, and 3/16 of your HP every turn at your disposal. Only use Scald when taunted (wait out the taunt turns to preserve your precious Barriers and Aqua Ring) or on steel/Poison types, as they are not affected by toxic.

SPECS??!?!?!?!!
Item: Choice Specs
Ability: Clear Body/Liquid Ooze/Rain Dish
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)/Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EVs: 252 SpA/252 Spd/4 HP
-Scald/Hydro Pump/Surf/Muddy Water
-Sludge Wave
-Ice Beam
-Hidden Power [Bug]/Hidden Power [Ground]/Hidden Power [Fire]/Hidden Power [Electric]

Base 80 Special Attack is very much usable with Choice Specs. It doesn't really matter which ability you have. Liquid Ooze to give SubSeeders a surprise, Clear Body prevents stat drops (Special Attack and Speed, most importantly), and Rain Dish recovers HP, but only in the rain. Each of the Water moves has their own benefits, I put them in the order of most effective, in my opinion. Muddy Water can get some accuracy drops, Scald a burn, Surf is the balance between accuracy and power, while Hydro Pump is all power. Sludge Wave just because...STAB...or something...Poison STAB stinks, but it's still a STAB. Ice Beam is the only other Special move that he can learn that's not Normal, Water, or Poison type. HP Bug for Psychics, Ground specifically for Magnezone and Heatran, and Fire for a broader range of Steels, the flying/levitating/ballooning ones (except Heatran). If you don't chose Hidden Power Electric, Sludge Wave hits all Water types except Water/Grounds better than every other type in this moveset. If you do chose HP Electric, then Sludge Wave has only one purpose...LUDICOLO. That's it. One pokemon. Basically, your. Hidden Power should be good for whoever your team is generally weak to.

 

[takbir10]

Man, i used to love this thing. Its design is sick, its ability is good.
I am CRUUUUUEEEEL
Tentacruel@Leftovers-Rain Dish(DW)-Timid nature
Toxic Spikes
Protect
Ice Beam
EV's:252 Spec. attack 252 Spec. Defense and rest to HP
Hidden Power Grass /Hydro Pump
ONLY USE ON RAIN TEAMS. Other than that it won't be THAT USEFUL
EV's: Try to boost its defenses and speed. Do some to HP too.

I saw a bird, it was pretty kickass
Tentacruel@Leftovers-Rain dish- Bold nature
toxic spikes
ice beam
any water move
protect
not as good as the other one...

 

[365pokemon]

Tentacool has the second highest special defense in little cup, bar mantyke. But tentacool doesn't have a 4x weakness, a weakness to rocks, and can carry toxic spikes, rapid spin, haze, and knock off, moves that mantyke can only dream of having. Just to throw some set ideas out there.

 

[Suspence]

"Support" is the first word that pops into the head of many players when they see Tentacruel. They are correct, as Tentacruel is a great choice for a variety of support roles, including laying down Toxic Spikes and removing entry hazards. Tentacruel also possesses a base Speed of 100, an acceptable Special Attack stat and a wide offensive movepool, allowing it to fit on offensive and balanced teams just as well as on stall teams.

Unfortunately, Tentacruel has an awfully low Defense stat for a support Pokemon. This is compounded by a weakness to the ever-common Earthquake. Despite this, Tentacruel is a wonderful support Pokemon and should always be considered if you are in need of a defensive (or even offensive) Pokemon.

Tentacruel@Leftovers
Trait: Rain Dish
Bold Nature
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
~ Toxic Spikes
~ Rapid Spin
~ Scald
~ Protect / Ice Beam
252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe

This set uses Tentacruel's ability to lay down Toxic Spikes and spin other hazards away, making it a nice addition to stall, semi-stall, and even balanced teams, particularly those that make use of rain. As an additional bonus, Tentacruel can absorb Toxic Spikes on your side of the field simply by switching in. Its Water and Poison typing, along with its great Special Defense, enables it to switch into a variety of attacks in order to set up hazards or spin them away. Recovering 12.5% of its health every turn in the rain, Tentacruel can then become very difficult to take down. Scald is Tentacruel's best STAB move, offering an excellent 30% burn rate to offset Tentacruel's poor Defense stat. Surf is a decent option instead, as it packs good power, especially in rain, and does not conflict with Toxic Spikes. Protect is the primary option for the last slot, as it allows Tentacruel to recover another 12.5% of its health in the rain, while scouting the opponents move, and forcing them to take additional Toxic damage. Ice Beam allows Tentacruel to hit Dragon- and Grass-types foes, although, be warned, the damage output will still not be great. Hex is an option to take on Jellicent, Dusclops and other spinblockers, though Tentacruel will still struggle to break through them, and Toxic Spikes are required for the move to be remotely useful.

 

[BanetteFan]

“STING OF THE JELLYFISH”
Ability: Liquid Ooze
Nature: Bold
Item: Black Sludge
1. Toxic Spikes
2. Hex
3. Scald/Surf/Hydro Pump
4. Ice Beam/Venoshock
—This set is designed to spam status. Lay down Toxic Spikes to poison anything that isn't immune in some way, and then Hex will be doubled in power—even if they try to Rest off the poison Hex will still hurt them bad, HA! Scald may sound strange considering you would be mostly relying on Toxic Spikes for status, but it's designed to burn stuff that can't be poisoned (like Steels and grounded Poison-types that can remove the spikes). Surf and Hydro Pump are alternatives—with Surf being fairly powerful and reliable, Hydro Pump being MEGA powerful and UNreliable. Ice Beam sorts out Dragons, Grassers, and Flyers who can't be spiked. Venoshock is interesting in that, against poisoned foes, it becomes Tentacruel's most powerful STAB attack along with Hydro Pump, gaining a scary 130 base power (not counting STAB). It would theoretically work well with Toxic Spikes but I'd rather go with Ice Beam.

“PARTNER-CRUEL”
Ability: Liquid Ooze
Nature: Modest/Bold
Item: Black Sludge
1. Toxic Spikes
2. Surf
3. Sludge Wave
4. Ice Beam/Blizzard
—Tentacruel can also be a decent multi-battle partner with its access to entry hazards and three good attacks that hit the whole opposition. Toxic Spikes is still good here, whereas Surf and Sludge Wave are powerful STABs. Blizzard is hard to rely on, but it also hits every opponent.

“BLADE OF THE JELLYFISH”
Ability: Clear Body
Nature: Adamant
Item: Black Sludge
1. Swords Dance
2. Waterfall
3. Poison Jab
4. Return
—Bit of a novelty set, but it could work in theory. Dance up and then sweep whatever you can—Waterfall and Poison Jab are good STABs, while Return can partner with Waterfall to hit just about everything for at last neutral damage. Clear Body is more useful as an ability here because it stops Intimidators from hindering your power.

“NEUROTOXIN”
Ability: Liquid Ooze
Nature: Timid/Modest/Bold
Item: Black Sludge
1. Acid Spray
2. Toxic Spikes/Giga Drain
3. Surf/Scald
4. Ice Beam
—This makes Tentacruel an even more threatening wall from the offensive side. Acid Spray itself doesn't do much damage, but its main attraction is that it sharply lowers the foe's Sp. Defense, which will make any of your attacks hurt much worse. Toxic Spikes is preferable on this set because not many things would stay in something that hits relatively hard (despite Tentacruel's only decent Sp. Attack) and would switch, probably poisoning something else as they come in, but Giga Drain offers a means of HP recovery. Surf is, again, an all around good STAB attack but Scald offers a means to inflict status on floaters, Flyers, and Steels. Ice Beam sorts out stuff Surf/Scald can't.

Other interesting options—
Tentacruel gets Rain Dish as an ability from the Dream World. If you can get it, it will valuable on a Rain team, with Politoed obviously as a partner. You could possibly even use Rain Dance on Tentacruel instead in absence of Politoed.
*Rest—Tentacruel's only means of recovery outside of Giga Drain and Rain Dish, if you can get it.
*Toxic—becomes an immediate threat to walls and takes only one turn to use, but you'll be missing those spikes soon enough.
*Aqua Ring—could be used on a defensive set for additional recovery alongside Black Sludge.
*Barrier—makes Tentacruel even sturdier.
*Safeguard—could protect you and your team mates against status.
*Rapid Spin—remove entry hazards while setting down your own.
*Magic Coat—can be used to turn entry hazards, status, and other annoyances like against the enemy.
*Muddy Water—could agitate the opposition with the occasional accuracy drop, but its shaky accuracy generally makes it inferior to its other STAB options.
*Mirror Coat—Tentacruel has a lot of special bulk, and if you think you can survive a Thunderbolt or what have you then throw it right back at them with double the power!
*Sludge Bomb—a powerful STAB that is outclassed by Sludge Wave in that it is more powerful and can hit the entire opposition in multi-battles, but Sludge Bomb does have a higher chance of inducing poison (although that is what Toxic Spikes are for).
*Haze—annoys stat-uppers.
*Confuse Ray—another annoyance move.
*Knock Off—getting rid of the opponent's items can either make or break a battle.
*Acupressure—this might have been more useful if Tentacruel got Baton Pass, but otherwise all you can do is hope for a boost in whatever stat suits your set and then go with the flow.

 

[shadow_burnt]

Tentacruel, the jellyfish pokemon. This thing reminds me of spongebob, but don't take it lightly. If you do, you'll suffer. Tenta is able to spin, set up toxic spikes, and stall in rain, not as good as vappy, but still good. When creating a rain team, you will always need to keep this guy in mind, that's why rain team's carry ground and psychic moves more often.

 

[MajinYoshi]

liquid ooze:lets u destroy whimsicott.really useful

Whimsicott is UU now, so not useful at all compared to Rain Dish

 

[Sceptile Leaf Blade]

Tentacruel is great, oh how I hated the amount of Tentacruels you'd find surfing back in 2nd gen, and they all used Supersonic to annoy you even more, while not letting you flee. It has some cool abilities and tricks.

Special god / support
Tentacruel @ Leftovers
Modest nature
Liquid Ooze ability
252 Sp.Atk, 80 HP, 176 Sp.Def
-Acid Spray
-Hydro Pump
-Sludge Wave / Venoshock
-Toxic Spikes

These EV's give Tentacruel the maximum special bulk while keeping Sp.Atk to the max, which when taking hits can fool your foe into thinking you're a special wall and lack direct threat. Acid Spray heavily lowers the foes Sp.Def by two stages while inflicting damage, it's a bit like a special version of Screech that also does some damage (although not much). This has an element of surprise and can cause switches. Toxic Spikes punishes foes that switch out, forcing your foe to pick between staying in with extremely low special bulk or fleeing and poisoning the teammate. Hydro Pump theoretically has slightly more damage than Surf per turn at the cost of reliability and PP, and can hit surprisingly hard at max Sp.Atk after an Acid Spray. Sludge Wave is a filler move, but it hits quite hard with STAB and covers grass types that resist Hydro Pump, while Venoshock is a more powerful option if you can keep Toxic Spikes around. Do remember that Ferrothorn walls this set like no tomorrow, as does Dry Skin Toxicroak.

I've picked Leftovers over Black Sludge simply because if someone tricks your Black Sludge, they're simply going to trick it to another pokémon in your team.

 

[Aurath8]

Tentacruel. I hate this thing. Why? It's predictable, physically frail and weak to common moves like Earthquake. The reason I hate it is because that one thing it does, it does so well. Spreading Toxic Spikes and spinning hazards. Anyway...
Counters
Pretty much all Tentacruel all run the same Toxic Spikes|Surf/Scald|Rapid Spin|Filler which makes my job much easier when finding counters. The number one counter to Tentacruel is Magic Bounce Espeon. It bounces back, Toxic Spikes, takes minimal damage from an uninvested Scald/Surf and immediately threatens with Psychic(or even better, Psyshock). T
he only, problem is that it can still spin away hazards. This screams Ghost types, however the other problem is that no Ghost type can bounce back Toxic Spikes(tthough most or are immune thanks to Levitate) with Magic Bounce. Another problem with Ghosts is that, they almost exclusively use Special Attacks. Tentacruel takes hits like a champ from the special side. A lot of Ghosts can get Magic Coat to bounce back T-Spikes. thanks to HGSS move tutors. It has the surprise factor but it's not too useful once the lead has gone down.
Taunt can also stop it in it's tracks. Tornadus and Whimsicott have priroty Taunt which is cool. Deoxys-S also has a really fast Taunt. Gengar can spinblock and Taunt it if he doesn't fancy Magic Coat.
Poison types, Steel types, Flying types, anything else immune to poison damage and Pokemon with levitate are all immune to Toxic Spikes. So stuff like Lati@s, Reuniclus and Jirachi can come in and setup on it while it wastes it's time spiking.
I suppose I should mention Dugtrio, which traps and KOes it, but it can only switch-in on Rapid Spin, Toxic Spikes.
LO Jolly Dugtrio EQ vs. 252 HP Bold Tentacruel = 109.3-129.1
However Duggy needs a choice band and an Adamant nature if he wants to beat 252 HP/240 Def/16 Spe Bold Tentacruel. That does 102% minimum.
And of course, don't forget your own Rapid Spinner. Excadrill, Forretress and your own Tentacruel get a special mention for T-Spikes immunity. Starmie can also Rapid Spin T-Spikes with little difficulty thanks to Natural Cure.

To summarise: Magic Bounce Espeon(or Xatu if you wish) stops the main threat of Tentacruel, Toxic Spikes. Ghost types like Gengar can spinblock, are(usually) immune to T-Spikes. Taunt can mess with it. Fliers, Levitators and stuff immune to Toxic damage can setup on it. Dugtrio can trap and kill it. Your own pokemon with Rapid Spin can take away T-Spikes.

 

[maciscool]

Eat my tentacles!

Tentacruel @Leftovers
Ability : Liquid Ooze
Modest Nature (+ SpAtk ; - SpDef)

- Hydro Pump/Scald
- Poison Jab
- Ice Beam
- Swagger/Protect

Hydro Pump for STAB, or run Scald to get the burn chance. Poison Jab over Toxic Spikes to be able to poison Flying types as well. Ice Beam for coverage. The last spot was kind of random but here's my thought : Protect to stall toxic damage and gain some time and make more damage, Swagger raises Attack but I think it couples well with Scald since with a burn, Attack is halved, so it doesn't change much in the end, and the foe is confused as well so... Tell me if I'm wrong about this one, maybe the game mechanics are not like that. For the ability, Sub-seeders will be mad, I think...

Bad Tentacruel, very bad!.... Carry on...

Tentacruel @Black Sludge
Ability : Rain Dish
Jolly Nature (+ Speed ; - SpAtk)

- Rain Dance
- Toxic Spikes
- Hex
- Hydro Pump

Tentacruel as a leader, F*** Yeah! Rain Dance to set up weather, then Toxic Spikes for entry hazards. Hex to make some damage after TS, and Hydro Pump for Stab. Black Sludge and Rain Dish for recovery. 'Nuff said.

poison jab?o and tentacruel as confuse ray
and why did u put jolly,all your attacking moves are special

 

[maciscool]

Whimsicott is UU now, so not useful at all compared to Rain Dish

yeah i forgot the whimsicott got moved
lik excadrill(which i dont get at all because of conkelldurr,azumarill and breloom

 

[maciscool]

"Support" is the first word that pops into the head of many players when they see Tentacruel. They are correct, as Tentacruel is a great choice for a variety of support roles, including laying down Toxic Spikes and removing entry hazards. Tentacruel also possesses a base Speed of 100, an acceptable Special Attack stat and a wide offensive movepool, allowing it to fit on offensive and balanced teams just as well as on stall teams.

Unfortunately, Tentacruel has an awfully low Defense stat for a support Pokemon. This is compounded by a weakness to the ever-common Earthquake. Despite this, Tentacruel is a wonderful support Pokemon and should always be considered if you are in need of a defensive (or even offensive) Pokemon.

Tentacruel@Leftovers
Trait: Rain Dish
Bold Nature
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
~ Toxic Spikes
~ Rapid Spin
~ Scald
~ Protect / Ice Beam
252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe

This set uses Tentacruel's ability to lay down Toxic Spikes and spin other hazards away, making it a nice addition to stall, semi-stall, and even balanced teams, particularly those that make use of rain. As an additional bonus, Tentacruel can absorb Toxic Spikes on your side of the field simply by switching in. Its Water and Poison typing, along with its great Special Defense, enables it to switch into a variety of attacks in order to set up hazards or spin them away. Recovering 12.5% of its health every turn in the rain, Tentacruel can then become very difficult to take down. Scald is Tentacruel's best STAB move, offering an excellent 30% burn rate to offset Tentacruel's poor Defense stat. Surf is a decent option instead, as it packs good power, especially in rain, and does not conflict with Toxic Spikes. Protect is the primary option for the last slot, as it allows Tentacruel to recover another 12.5% of its health in the rain, while scouting the opponents move, and forcing them to take additional Toxic damage. Ice Beam allows Tentacruel to hit Dragon- and Grass-types foes, although, be warned, the damage output will still not be great. Hex is an option to take on Jellicent, Dusclops and other spinblockers, though Tentacruel will still struggle to break through them, and Toxic Spikes are required for the move to be remotely useful.

do u have to copy everytrhing that smogon says
plus the evs are put on twice

 

[deoxysdude94]

It's time for deoxysdude's dumb movesets again... All the good ones are taken.

TentaSword (idk)
Adamant Nature
Black Sludge
252 Atk 252 Speed
Clear Body

Swords Dance
Waterfall
Poison Jab
Return

BOOM!!!!! Just what you least expected from me! Swords dance up, stun the enemy into saying, WTF??? Then, you have waterfall and Poison Jab for STAB, and Return to create the Water-Normal duo.

Well, signing out.




Wow, that was a pretty dumb moveset.

 

[Charizard Lizzy]

Wow, I really didn’t have much interest into Tentacruel until I examined it up close! Despite its weak Defense, for a supporter Tentacruel is blessed. Its Speed is respectable, its Special Defense is gorgeous, and it even has decent Special Attack considering it’s wired as a supporter. Heck, Tentacruel’s even luckier to have Barrier at its disposal to bulk up that sad Defense!

Abilities:
Clear Body – The opponent can’t reduce any of Tentacruel’s stats. If you really want Tentacruel to be an all-out tank, This ability may be useful.

Liquid Ooze – Absorption attacks will actually harm the user if used on Tentacruel. Great against SubSeeders.

Rain Dish – Tentacruel regains extra health in rain. Only good for Rain Dance / Drizzle teams, but by no means is an awful ability.

;073;
Tank Jelly
Item: Leftovers / Black Sludge
Ability: Clear Body / Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 Sp. Def / 200 Def / 56 Spd
Nature: Bold (+ Def, - Atk) / Calm (+ Sp. Def, - Atk)

- Barrier
- Scald / Surf
- Toxic Spikes
- Ice Beam / Rapid Spin

Get Tentacruel’s pathetic Defense patched up with Barrier, which will double the stat in just one use. Scald gets STAB and has the potential to burn, while Surf has stronger base power. Toxic Spikes makes for an excellent team supportive move. Ice Beam gives great coverage paired with Scald. Rapid Spin ensures your team is safe from other Toxic Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Spikes.

Both Leftovers and Black Sludge give the same recovery results, but the Black Sludge will become useless if it becomes stolen by a non-Poison type.

;073;
Tank Jelly – Rain Dance Team Edition
Item: Leftovers / Black Sludge
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 Sp. Def / 200 Def / 56 Spd
Nature: Bold / Calm

- Aqua Ring
- Scald / Surf
- Barrier / Toxic Spikes / Rapid Spin
- Ice Beam / Rapid Spin

This is a more gimmicky set that Tentacruel will be gaining a lot of HP through. Bring out a Rain Dance / Drizzle Pokémon to kick in the Rain Dish ability, and then stack even more HP by using Aqua Ring. From there, the standard Tentacruel options can be filled in the last three slots. Scald and Surf both get STAB. Barrier is there to bulk up Tentacruel’s Defense. Otherwise, Toxic Spikes or Rapid Spin can be the other supportive choices. Ice Beam gives good coverage when paired with Scald or Surf. The Leftovers and Black Sludge further add to Tentacruel’s HP gain.

;073;
Status Monster
Item: Leftovers / Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Sp. Def –OR— 252 Sp. Atk / 200 Def / 56 Sp. Def
Nature: Modest (+ Sp, Atk, - Atk) / Timid (+ Spd, - Atk)

- Toxic
- Scald
- Hex
- Venoshock

Toxic is the core of this set and inflicts poison on the target (there's also Toxic Spikes if you so choose). However, if the opponent is immune to Toxic, Scald has the potential to burn instead. Venoshock gets STAB as well as double the power if the target is poisoned. Hex will also deal double damage when the opponent is poisoned as well as any other major status ailment.

Having Liquid Ooze at your disposal discourages the opponent from trying to steal HP from you while they’re inflicted with Toxic or a burn.

Other Options:
Acid Spray, although weak, always harshly reduces the target’s Special Defense.
Sludge Wave or Sludge Bomb are both strong Special Poison-type attacks.
Giga Drain could potentially give back some HP to Tentacruel as well as be a surprise to the opponent.

Partners:
For the Rain Dish variant, you will need someone to cast Rain Dance or have the ability Drizzle (Politoed, most notably). In general, however, you need to protect Tentacruel from Physical attacks, namely Earthquake, as it’s Tentacruel’s biggest weakness and the easiest way for it to fall flat on its face.

Attack Index:
- Acid Spray – Lvl. 26, Tentacool / Tentacruel
- Aqua Ring - EGG
- Barrier – Lvl. 29, Tentacool / Tentacruel
- Giga Drain - Gen. IV TM 19
- Hex – Lvl. 43, Tentacool ; Lvl. 47, Tentacruel
- Ice Beam – TM 13
- Rapid Spin – EGG
- Scald – TM 55
- Sludge Bomb – TM 36
- Sludge Wave – TM 34
- Surf – HM 03
- Toxic Spikes – Lvl. 15, Tentacool / Tentacruel
- Venoshock – TM 09

 

[maciscool]

Reno's Tentacruel

Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Trait: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Attract
- Tickle
- Wrap
- Double Team

Mark <3's Tentacruel ^_^

You're gay.

thats hilarious

 

[Smugleaf-pwns-all]

"Treacherous Waters"

Nature: Adamant/Jolly
Ability: Clear Body
Item: Blacksludge/Life Orb
EV Spread: 40 HP, 240 Atk, 230 Spd

Moves:
Waterfall
Poison Jab
Sword Dance
Return

Ever gotten tired of just a Special Wall or a lead as sets for Tentacruel? Do you want a more original set for it? If you answered yes to either of those questions you will love this set. Starting out with natures it comes down to two factors, do you want more power or more speed? I tend to go with Adamant more as Tentacruel needs the extra Attack and already has good Speed. Ability is Clear Body because of intimidate mostly, but preventing Defence stats from lowering is useful as well. Item wise, do you want to last longer or hit harder? I go with Black sludge because of recovery and to screw over Trick users but it’s up to you. EV Spread is fairly self explanatory; you want high Attack and Speed as with sweepers but the extra HP EVs allow it to take some hits which is useful for setting up. Move wise it’s hard to run this set but these moves can work perfectly together, Waterfall and Poison Jab for STAB, Return for a third attacking move and Sword Dance to set up. All in all this is a new and fun take on the dominant wild sea Pokémon.

 

[ClefairyRox]

Believe it or not, Tentacruel is OU. I guess it was because Rapid Spin became much more useful with the addition of Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes. Tentacruel does a good job of it, too. At Base 100 Speed, it is the second fastest Rapid Spin user, after Starmie. Not only that, it can set up Toxic Spikes of its own, bringing it among the few Pokemon that can both set up entry hazards and spin them away. It's also the only Poison-type Rapid Spinner, giving it a niche. Although it lacks reliable recovery, it can still do quite well as a Spinner. Its Defense is poor, and it hates the omnipresent Earthquake, but its great Sp. Defense and decent HP make it a nice special sponge.

Tentacruel is unfortunately lacking on the offensive side, however. It's offensive stats are mediocre at best (although Swords Dance or a Choice Item can help compensate), so it is basically forced to serve as a utility or walling role. Still, it is good at what it can do.

Liquid Ooze: When an opponent uses a move that drains HP, they are damaged instead of healed. This ability has gained much more use what with Drain Punch and Giga Drain increasing in both power and popularity. Its also makes Tentacruel a great Leech Seed switch in. It won't like its HP being sapped, but Liquid Ooze will at least stop the Sub-Seed strategy cold in its tracks.

Clear Body: Prevents all stat decreases, except those that are self-inflicted. This ability is more or less useless on Tentacruel. As the most common stat-dropping is the Attack loss from Intimidate, Tentacruel really can't find any use for this, unless it runs a physical set with Swords Dance or Choice Band.

Rain Dish: With rain being ubiquitous thanks to Politoed, this ability definitely has value. It snags Tentacruel an extra 1/16 of its max HP every turn in the rain (which is the same as recovery from Leftovers or Black Sludge). This grants Tentacruel a great deal more survivability.

On every Tentacruel moveset, you will want to be running a Water attack for STAB. Scald is usually the best choice for the burn chance, but you can go for Surf for more power. I wouldn't go for Hydro Pump unless you run a Choice Set. Alongside it, you can run various other special moves. Ice Beam is probably the best choice, as it combos wonderfully with Surf and gets great coverage. I'd go against Poison attacks due to their awful coverage, although Venoshock has good synergy with Toxic Spikes and gives Tentacruel use against opposing Water types.

Tentacruel can Spin, set up Toxic Spikes, or both, so feel free to pick and choose. It can also run Mirror Coat, and can do so quite effectively with its high Sp. Defense. Knock Off is another support move it gets, and it's always useful to force a foe to lose their item.

Weirdly, Tentacruel gets Hex, which gets a nice boost if the opponent is statused. Unfortunately, STAB Scald is stronger, and neutral Ice Beam is just a bit weaker, except on Pokemon who resist those moves. The main use for Hex would be laying the smackdown on Jellicent, who otherwise walls Tentacruel all day long.

Tentacruel can run a Swords Dance set, but its far outclassed by other Water types (Feraligatr being the main one).

Aqua Ring can be used for extra recovery if you don't run Rain Dish.

 

[Meowmeow]

After Solrock and Bellossom, this is quite a big step forward.

Tentacruel has access to some handy support moves like Rapid Spin, Toxic Spikes, Haze, and the psuedo-Nasty Plot in Acid Spray. Dream World gave it Rain Dish as an ability which, with Giga Drain, gives Tentacruel lots of residual recovery. Offensively, Tentacruel's options are solid, including Scald, Surf, Giga Drain, Acid Spray, and Ice Beam. Tentacruel is a solid Pokemon that is very capable of messing with the enemy.

In terms of abilities, Liquid Ooze is good, but that only has use against Leech Seed and Giga Drain since it resists Drain Punch. It is too situational.
Lets get to the sets.

Support set
Nature: Bold
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 Defense, 200 HP, 48 Speed, 8 Special Defense
@: Black Sludge

Toxic Spikes
Rapid Spin
Giga Drain/Scald
Hidden Power Fighting/Fire/Hex

This set features Tentacruel's bulk and supporting ability. Stealth Rock and Spikes disappear thanks to Rapid Spin. Lay Toxic Spikes next. Scald throws burns while Giga Drain grants extra recovery. Hidden Power has only one purpose, but a very important one: Ferrothorn. Ferrothorn is possibly the most used Pokemon in OU and is the bane of Tentacruel. Hex is an option to hit Ghosts that like to switch into Rapid Spin, and really hurts the ones that are touched by Toxic Spikes. If you want Ice Beam to nail Salamence and Dragonite, this is not the place to do it.

Acid Spray set
Nature: Modest
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 special attack and speed, 4 HP
@: Life Orb/Black Sludge

Acid Spray
Surf/Hydro Pump/Scald
Ice Beam
Hidden Power Fighting/Fire/Giga Drain

Acid Spray is a great move to have. Choose your STAB to pair with Ice Beam and choose your coverage move. Hidden Power's primary objective is Steel-types, specifically Ferrothorn. Giga Drain hits Water-types.

Choice
Nature: Modest/Timid
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 special attack and speed, 4 HP
@: Choice Specs

Surf/Hydro Pump
Ice Beam
Giga Drain
Hidden Power Fighting/Fire

Instant power. STAB paired with Ice Beam, Giga Drain, and Hidden Power will punch holes in the opponent's party. It should be noted that Tentacruel does not have too much raw power, so Hydro Pump is the best option.

Other options:
Haze is another supporting option, but Weezing does it better.
Sludge Wave is secondary STAB, but Poison-type attacks outside of Acid Spray is useless.
Swords Dance can be used for a sub-par physical set.
Clear Body ability prevents stat drops, but it has little use compared to Rain Dish.

 

[Garch0mp0utrage]

Never really used this guy, but I've considered using it lately.

A set you wil pretty much always see
Tentacruel@Black sludge
Ability: Rain dish/Liquid Ooze
EV's 252 HP/252 def/4 spe
Moveset:
Toxic Spikes
Scald
Rapid Spin
Protect/Ice Beam/Giga drain(LO set only)

Basic set here. Almost anyone can see how common this thing is. Toxic Spikes is it's main move, using it to cripple switch outs and stuff. Scald is to... Well, it's a hurting move which is something all of you already know. Likely burns the opponent which is good for your defense. Rapid Spin is something we all see on Tenta. Get rid of those entry hazards! Protect gives you nice HP back thanks to black sludge and rain dish considering you have the weather up. Ice beam kills ground types. Giga drain is nice against most grounds, but costs your nice ability.
And another set...

A set you will rarely see
Tentacruel@Black Sludge/Life Orb
Ability: Rain Dish
EV's 212 sp.atk/252 spe/40 HP
Moveset:
Hydro Pump
Ice Beam
Hidden Power (bug)
Toxic Spikes/Protect/Toxic

The goal is simple. Tentacruel sweeps. Hydro pump is for stab killing any ground type or whatnot that try's to switch in. Ice beam does the same thing as Hydro pump, except hits scor and Landorus even harder. Hidden power (bug) takes care of psychics such as Latios and Reuniclus. Mainly used to hit and run however as it will not be able to take them out right away unless they're crippled. Toxic spikes is there if you feel you need it. Protect gives you HP back. And toxic is if you can't stand waiting for the switch-outs.

Well, there's tentacruel.

 

[Blue Harvest]

Normally, most ignore Tentacruel, but it has some decent uses

Huh. Its been OU since early gen 4. Staple of early D/P stall and now a staple on B/W Rain stall.

Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Trait: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Scald
- Protect
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin

Standard Tentacruel. Switches in on pretty much all water Pokemon and dumps Toxic Spikes on them or spins. Play this with Rain, obviously. With Rain Tentacruel hard counters stuff like Swords Dance and Choice Band Scizor and sometimes Conkledurr and Lucario. Protect + Rain Dish + Black Sludge heals 25% meaning if you play well Tentacruel can easily last a full game. Scald hits with 120 base power in Rain which is enough to usually muscle through whatever its walling. Speed EVs outrun Jolly Tyranitar, and most Gliscor / Jirachi and Mew.



Tentacruel @ Life Orb
Trait: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
- HP Grass / Toxic Spikes

Tenta isn't always defensive. Tentacruel is a cool offensive Rapid Spinner with a good deal of longevity and power in Rain. In Rain Tentacruel OHKOs Skarmory with Hydro Pump, 2HKOs Specially Defensive Jirachi and can strip 70% off a Starmie! Main reasons to use this over Starmie include the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes, the ability to use Toxic Spikes and the overall better defenses.

Giga Drain is an option if you abandon Rain Dish for Liquid Ooze which is viable I guess to beat Whimsicott, Gastrodon, Quagsire, Jellicent and Conkledurr a little better. Rain Dish is hard to pass up though.