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Scald can threaten common Pokemon like Scizor, Cobalion, and Amoonguss with a burn. Sludge Bomb prevents Tentacruel from being too passive and hits foes such as Tangrowth, Primarina, and Azumarill. It also has a chance to poison, which is useful for crippling threats like Salamence, Keldeo, and Slowking. 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 Chansey, Salamence, and Swampert. 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 160 Speed EVs allow Tentacruel to outspeed Excadrill and Rotom-W. The rest of the EVs are put into Defense to more easily deal with Cobalion and Keldeo's Secret Sword. Tentacruel is best used on balance and bulky offense teams that appreciate its ability to remove entry hazards. Entry hazard setters like Hippowdon and Skarmory 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. Hippowdon also checks threatening foes like Thundurus-T 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 Zygarde-10%. The latter can also set up Grassy Terrain, which provides Tentacruel with another source of recovery and weakens Earthquake. Jirachi provides Wish support for Tentacruel. Other Steel-types like Scizor and Celesteela can take on Psychic- and Dragon-types like Azelf and Hydreigon for Tentacruel.

Speed investment outspeeds Timid Volcanion.

Moves Rapid Spin allows Tentacruel to get rid of entry hazards. Scald gives Tentacruel a nice STAB move that allows it to cripple physical attackers trying to take advantage of its lower defensive stat. Toxic Spikes allows Tentacruel to support the team by putting the foe on a timer. Haze gives Tentacruel a way to check setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Florges and Swords Dance Toxicroak with ease. Acid Spray can be used instead to force switches thanks to the Special Defense drops and rack up Toxic damage in conjunction with Toxic Spikes. It also gives Tentacruel a more reliable way to beat Sableye. Set Details Black Sludge gives Tentacruel a form of passive recovery. 24 Speed EVs allow Tentacruel to outspeed maximum Speed Adamant Honchkrow, while the remaining EVs are dumped into HP and Defense to allow Tentacruel to take resisted hits better. A Bold nature further bolsters Tentacruel's less-than-stellar Defense stat. Liquid Ooze allows Tentacruel to check certain Grass-types, such as Celebi lacking a Psychic STAB move more easily as well as punish Pokemon trying to drain its HP such as Toxicroak. Other Speed benchmarks Tentacruel can hit, with a Timid nature, are 96 Speed EVs to outspeed Mamoswine and Chandelure, 136 EVs to outspeed Nidoking and Heracross, and 148 to outspeed Adamant Entei. It is possible to run a set with an EV spread of 248 HP / 132 Def / 104 SpD / 24 Spe and a Calm nature to more reliably take on certain threats on stall and slower balanced teams such as SubCM Chandelure while making use of Tentacruel's decent special bulk. Usage Tips Tentacruel is best used on more balanced or defensive teams, as its lack of power and bulk means it can't hit Pokemon hard or tank hits as well as it wants to. Scald is Tentacruel's way of dealing damage, but its mediocre Special Attack stat prevents it from OHKOing even targets that are hit super effectively such as Krookodile and Mamoswine. Be careful when switching it in on powerful physical attackers like Entei, as even resisted hits can deal a lot of damage to it. Team Options Steel-types such as Escavalier and Doublade are really good partners for Tentacruel, as they provide some defensive synergy, making for a very potent and balanced core. Clerics such as Florges and Sylveon can not only get rid of status such as burns, which Tentacruel hates, but they can also take care of most Fighting-types that it can't while also providing Tentacruel with Wish support, allowing it to stick around throughout the match. Dark-types such as Hydreigon and Krookodile can be very effective partners for Tentacruel, as they provide amazing defensive synergy by granting a Psychic immunity and are able to break through bulky Psychic-types that Tentacruel has trouble with such as Cresselia and Reuniclus. Ground-types such as Mamoswine and Gligar provide an Electric immunity and appreciate Tentacruel's ability to wear down bulkier Pokemon with Toxic Spikes. Swampert is a really nice option, as it can provide Stealth Rock support, and it is a better Fire-type check despite sharing a Water typing with Tentacruel. Sableye can reliably break stall with Taunt and spinblock for Tentacruel, allowing both of them to pressure the opponent. Snorlax is another good partner for Tentacruel, as it can hard check Entei without stacking weaknesses with Tentacruel. Tentacruel also checks Infernape and Cobalion for Snorlax while providing Toxic Spikes. Setup sweepers, such as Swords Dance Cobalion and Calm Mind Cresselia, appreciate the Toxic Spikes support, as it allows them to break past bulky Pokemon they otherwise couldn't such as Suicune.

Moves Hydro Pump allows Tentacruel to hit as hard as possible against Fire-types such as Entei and Chandelure. Sludge Bomb gives Tentacruel a powerful STAB move for opposing Grass- and Fairy-types such as Celebi, Shaymin, and Sylveon. It also allows Tentacruel to hit Water-types fairly hard while threatening them with a chance to poison. Ice Beam is Tentacruel's best coverage move, as it hits opposing Dragon-types such as Hydreigon super effectively. Rapid Spin allows Tentacruel to support the team by getting rid of entry hazards. Toxic Spikes can be used if the team itself doesn't require entry hazard control to break bulkier teams. Acid Spray is another option over Sludge Bomb to allow Tentacruel to force out Calm Mind Florges and Sylveon, as Sludge Bomb will do less damage over time. It also gives Tentacruel a reliable way of breaking Sableye. Dazzling Gleam is another option that, when coupled with Expert Belt, can 2HKO Sableye and OHKO Hydreigon. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs alongside a Timid nature allow Tentacruel to make use of its base 100 Speed stat to outspeed threats that could otherwise revenge kill it such as Krookodile and Hydreigon while also keeping up with other positive-natured base 100s. Black Sludge allows Tentacruel to keep its passive recovery and tank resisted hits. Expert Belt, on the other hand, allows Tentacruel to deal more damage to targets that are hit super effectively. Shuca Berry can also provide Tentacruel the ability to tank one Ground-type attack and fire off a powerful Hydro Pump. Clear Body allows Tentacruel to be unaffected by stat drops from Sticky Web or Florges's Moonblast. Usage Tips Tentacruel should be used on more offensive teams that are in need of a Pokemon to remove entry hazards. Tentacruel should only be switching into resisted or neutral special hits, as any strong physical hit will put a major dent into it. Tentacruel should also be more careful when getting rid of entry hazards, as it lacks bulk investment, so it can't stay in the match for long. Team Options Pokemon that dislike entry hazards such as Sylveon and Mega Aerodactyl appreciate Tentacruel's ability to get rid of Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes while still keeping up the offensive pressure. On the other hand, these same offensive Pokemon also appreciate Toxic Spikes support to break past bulky Pokemon such as Swampert and Porygon2. Stealth Rock users such as Metagross, Cobalion, and Krookodile are nice additions, as Tentacruel can beat Pokemon that otherwise threaten them such as opposing Krookodile, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, and Mamoswine. Dark-types such as Hydreigon and Mega Absol can take care of Psychic-types for Tentacruel, while Tentacruel can use its Poison-type STAB moves to deal with Fairies. Ground-types such as Mamoswine provide a more reliable answer to Fire-types while sporting an Electric immunity. Mega Swampert is also an option, as it appreciates Tentacruel's ability to get rid of hazards, and Tentacruel can take advantage of the rain Mega Swampert sets if necessary.

Moves Scald is used for STAB and a very useful burn chance. Toxic Spikes punishes many teams, especially offensive teams lacking entry hazard removal. Rapid Spin is useful for removing hazards, especially against opposing leads. Toxic cripples common switch-ins to Tentacruel, such as Latias, Latios, Ho-Oh, and Primal Groudon. Knock Off is an option for hitting Latias, Latios, and Ho-Oh, although it gives Primal Groudon a free switch in. Set Details Maximum HP and Special Defense investment with a Calm nature minimizes the damage that Tentacruel takes from special attacks, particularly from Dialga's Draco Meteor so that Tentacruel is able to Rapid Spin away its Stealth Rock. Black Sludge offers passive recovery and punishes opposing Pokemon using Trick. Liquid Ooze punishes Ferrothorn and Shaymin-S if they use Leech Seed. Usage Tips If the opponent has Deoxys-S, Scolipede, or Greninja, lead with Tentacruel or switch it into them to remove their entry hazards by using Rapid Spin. Tentacruel can attempt to set up Toxic Spikes against those leads too. If you expect Latias to switch in, use Knock Off or Toxic, as Latias can pressure Tentacruel out and use Defog against it, so you need to cripple it early on. The same thing goes for Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon if Tentacruel has Toxic, because they can come in and KO Tentacruel, so it's better to cripple them early on. It's important to always switch Tentacruel in on the Pokemon it counters and try to cripple switch-ins, remove hazards, or get Toxic Spikes up. In addition, Scald should be used repeatedly when the opponent has Mega Sableye in order to cripple it with a burn, as it blocks Rapid Spin and bounces back Toxic Spikes. Team Options Tentacruel is good on bulky playstyles, such as balance and bulky offense, but it doesn't work well on hyper offense. To support Tentacruel, you need solid checks to Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Ho-Oh, as they seriously threaten Tentacruel. Klefki is a useful partner because of Prankster Thunder Wave, which helps Tentacruel fight offensive teams, while Wish support from Blissey or Alomomola is great for replenishing Tentacruel's health. Finally, pair Tentacruel with a Defogger that can beat Primal Groudon to have good entry hazard control between the two.

216 Speed EVs outspeeds Sharpedo on the turn it Mega Evolves. This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

216 Speed EVs outspeeds Sharpedo on the turn it Mega Evolves. This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Moves Scald, though weak without any Special Attack investment, allows Tentacruel to spread burns to the opposing team, forcing switches and dissuading physical attackers from switching in on it and setting up. Rapid Spin is an effective move thanks to Tentacruel's defensive typing and decent bulk, removing entry hazards for its team. Acid Spray forces switches and discourages setup sweepers, such as Calm Mind Clefable, from using Tentacruel as setup fodder. Toxic Spikes provides a great amount of support for your team, wearing down grounded foes and allowing a teammate to have an easier time breaking through the opposing team. Alternatively, in place of Acid Spray, Sludge Bomb can be used for a stronger Poison-type STAB move that lets Tentacruel threaten Serperior, which doesn't care about Scald and gets a Special Defense boost from Acid Spray, as well as OHKO Breloom. However, dropping Acid Spray prevents Tentacruel from being able to take on Clefable and Mega Venusaur. Set Details 252 HP EVs, a Calm nature, and 240 Special Defense EVs allow Tentacruel to be as specially bulky as possible. 16 Speed EVs allow Tentacruel to outspeed Adamant Bisharp and hit it with Scald, hopefully burning it. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 148 SpD / 108 Spe can be used to allow Tentacruel to outspeed Jolly Breloom by one point and take it out with Sludge Bomb. Black Sludge is used to restore Tentacruel's HP gradually. Liquid Ooze allows Tentacruel to switch into Mega Venusaur and cause it to take damage as a result of using Giga Drain. Usage Tips Switching Tentacruel in on resisted attacks allows it to then remove entry hazards or set hazards of its own without getting worn down too much. Removing hazards should be the main priority if you feel your team will be greatly hindered by them. Setting a single layer of Toxic Spikes is more than enough; don't set more if you think the foe will start setting up. Use Acid Spray against setup sweepers to force switches, after which Tentacruel should either set hazards or switch to a counter. Don't be too careless when switching Tentacruel in, and don't let it get worn down too quickly, especially if you urgently need to remove hazards. Spreading burns with Scald is another good way to force switches and ease Tentacruel's matchup against physical attackers. Team Options Tentacruel fits well on balance and stall teams, alongside Quagsire and Alomomola. The former can help beat setup sweepers that take advantage of Tentacruel's passiveness, such as Bisharp, while the latter can keep Tentacruel healthy with Wish. Tentacruel pairs well with Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock, such as Volcanion and Gyarados. Rotom-W is a good partner thanks to its immunity to Ground and ability to help spread burns with Will-O-Wisp. Lanturn can keep Tentacruel free from status with Heal Bell and provides an Electric immunity, though it does exacerbate the Ground weakness. Swampert, on the other hand, can be a superior option for an Electric-immune teammate, as it provides Stealth Rock and is often physically defensive, being able to switch into physical attackers for Tentacruel. Tail Glow Manaphy and Belly Drum Azumarill can take advantage of the switches Tentacruel forces by setting up. Wallbreakers such as Crawdaunt and Volcanion also pair well with Tentacruel due to their ability to take advantage of Toxic Spikes. They also appreciate Tentacruel's Grass neutrality and ability to switch into Mega Venusaur. Mega Sharpedo can also take advantage of said hazard; it helps turn some of its 2HKOs into OHKOs and it can stall with Protect, causing the foe to take accumulating poison damage.

As previously mentioned, Tentacruel is one of the few viable users of Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin in the Uber tier. Do not make the mistake of thinking this Pokemon is inferior to Forretress; Tentacruel has several qualities that let it hold its ground against threats the bagworm might fall to. First off, Tentacruel has much greater special bulk, and, in comparison to Forretress's physical bulk, is more desirable in Ubers. Tentacruel also gained Scald this generation, which can burn any would-be physical threat and make it useless (unless the opponent packs a cleric). Scald also has respectable power in the rain after a STAB boost. Tentacruel was given Rain Dish in the generation shift as well, which, in tandem with Black Sludge, gives it 12.5% recovery per turn, which is nothing to scoff at. This jellyfish also has a surprising base 100 Speed, meaning it will often outspeed Pokemon such as Groudon and Dialga, which don't do much other than creep base 90 Speed Pokemon by a few EVs. The first two moves are obvious--Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin give Tentacruel its niche. Scald is a solid choice in the third slot, and can turn would-be counters into useless burned husks. However, if you wish, you can swap out Scald for one the of moves slashed in the fourth slot. The last slot is a bit trickier. Ice Beam allows you to put a respectable-sized dent in the Dragon-type Pokemon which run rampant in the Uber tier, and, more importantly, Giratina-O, though it can't do much to touch Tentacruel outside of the rare Earthquake, Outrage, or Thunder. The 32 Defense EVs prevent a max Attack Giratina-O with an Attack-boosting nature from OHKOing a full HP Tentacruel with Earthquake. Dragon Tail can annoy Tentacruel a bit, but it will quickly recover from minor hits through Rain Dish and Black Sludge. Protect is also a decent choice, allowing Tentacruel to maximize its Rain Dish and Black Sludge recovery; however, it can be risky. If you aren't careful, Protect can provide the opponent with free switches and turns to set up. Don't ignore this option though, since it can allow Tentacruel to accomplish impressive feats such as survive the 2HKO from unboosted Thunder off 150 SpA (it maxes at 61.5% with the given EV spread). Protect also causes the opponent to take a bit more damage from poison, burning a turn before you are forced to switch to a check. Ferrothorn is an outstanding teammate for Tentacruel, as it resists its most commonly abused weakness, Electric. In turn, Tentacruel resists both of Ferrothorn's weaknesses. This can be quite easy to exploit, and Tentacruel will often find free recovery from Ferrothorn's Leech Seed. Both Ferrothorn and Tentacruel also fit quite nicely on defensively minded teams; Tentacruel can provide Rapid Spin support and Toxic Spikes while Ferrothorn walls a great number of threats and can provide Spike support. Kyogre is also a great partner to the two aforementioned Pokemon, as Ferrothorn enjoys its Fire-type weakness lessened in severity, while Tentacruel needs Kyogre to fuel Rain Dish. Giratina-O is a great teammate for the jellyfish too. Giratina-O resists all of Tentacruel's weaknesses bar Psychic, which only Mewtwo is commonly seen using. Giratina-O also blocks Rapid Spin and, in addition, resists or is immune to Ferrothorn's weaknesses as well! Tentacruel also has the added bonus of being able to absorb Toxic Spikes upon switching in—an ability that is quite useful to defensive teams. It also may be wise to pack Pokemon like Lugia or Chansey to take the powerful attacks that Tentacruel simply can't manage. Knock Off is a viable option on Tentacruel to annoy offensive and defensive Pokemon alike. Pokemon which use Leftovers will hate to see it gone, and they will succumb to Toxic Spikes even faster. However, it may be more beneficial to allow Choiced Pokemon to keep their items, since this makes them quite easy to predict around. Tentacruel's impressive Speed can also allow it to act as a "Suicide Toxic Spiker". You can forgo the defensive approach and simply sacrifice Tentacruel to get a layer or two of Toxic Spikes and perhaps get a Rapid Spin in before Tentacruel goes down. You can also choose to invest a bit more in Defense, but Tentacruel's Defense stat is poor anyway, and it usually is a waste of its special walling potential. Haze deserves mention for its great utility, but it is illegal with Rapid Spin due to breeding restrictions. Finally, Venoshock deserves an honorable mention for reaching 195 BP and surpassing Scald in the rain if the opponent is poisoned, which is very possible considering you will be using Toxic Spikes. This, however, isn't a very reliable STAB and Steel-types are immune to it. You will often not be able to do much to Pokemon which are not affected by Toxic Spikes thanks to Levitate or a Flying sub-type as you can't poison them without outside help.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Tentacruel can perform a wide variety of functions; this set prioritizes setting up Toxic Spikes and removing entry hazards from your side of the field. Toxic Spikes keeps many walls that would otherwise quickly set up on it at bay. As it is a grounded Poison-type, Tentacruel can also remove Toxic Spikes from your side of the field. For other entry hazards, it can use Rapid Spin. Scald is listed in the third moveslot due to its nifty burn rate, which helps remedy Tentacruel's pitiful Defense. In the last moveslot, Ice Beam is useful for nailing Grass- and Dragon-type Pokemon that would otherwise laugh at Scald and proceed to set up. However, with Tentacruel's average base Special Attack, Pokemon such as Latios and Latias can shrug off Ice Beam, which makes Protect an alternative choice. Protect is also great at scouting the foe's set, and it allows Tentacruel to recover health without worry. Tentacruel is pretty damn fast for a defensive Pokemon, which is why 16 EVs are invested in Speed. These EVs allow the jellyfish to outspeed Adamant Breloom, which can be rather annoying due to Spore. Tentacruel's Defense stat is also a bit lacking, which is why the rest of the EVs go to it and HP. An alternative EV spread would be 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe with a Calm nature. The trade-off is that Tentacruel can wall special attacks better while becoming more vulnerable to physical ones. Another interesting spread is 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe, which allows Tentacruel to outspeed Adamant Dragonite and Mamoswine, Modest Chandelure, and other neutral-natured Pokemon with base 80 Speed. If you use this spread, you can also replace Scald with Surf, which will OHKO the latter two under the rain (Spikes or Stealth Rock is required to get an OHKO with Scald). As for abilities, Rain Dish should be your primary choice if you use Tentacruel on a rain team, which you probably should anyway; Rain Dish also allows Tentacruel to check opposing rain teams. Speaking of rain, Politoed is a must-have teammate. Unfortunately, these Pokemon share a common weakness to Electric-type attacks, which is why Pokemon such as Zapdos and Raikou help tremendously. SubRoost Zapdos and SubCM Raikou are amazing sets to use with Tentacruel; Zapdos can chill out behind a Substitute as the foe succumbs to Toxic damage, and Raikou appreciates having Chansey and Blissey destroyed by Toxic Spikes. These two Pokemon also benefit greatly from the rain, so not having them on your team should be a felony. Other good teammates are Grass-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn; not only can Ferrothron sponge physical attacks aimed at Tentacruel, it can also lay down Spikes. Setup sweepers also work nicely with Tentacruel. Manaphy and Serperior, for example, enjoy Toxic Spikes support and Tentacruel's bulk. Serperior can also shred enemy Manaphy to pieces with Leaf Storm, provided that the water pixie did not set up with Calm Mind. Finally, you might want to consider having spinblockers; after all, nothing is more frustrating than having your Toxic Spikes spun away over and over again. Jellicent is one of the best defensive spinblockers in the DW metagame; however, your team can have some serious problems with Electric-type attacks if you decide to use it on a rain team, so you might want to use another Pokemon, such as Dusclops or even Gengar.

Tentacruel's greatest problems are Jellicient and Ferrothorn; these two Pokemon take little or no damage from its attacks, and the latter is immune to Toxic Spikes. However, by using a clever combination of Substitute and Toxic, Tentacruel can easily defeat them and other would-be counters, such as Togekiss. Substitute blocks Ferrothorn's Leech Seed, Jellicent's Will-O-Wisp, and other status moves. The loss of HP will not bother Tentacruel because, with Leftovers and Rain Dish, it can regain the lost health in two turns under the rain. Meanwhile, as its counters try in vain to cripple it, Tentacruel can dish out some deliciously ironic revenge by crippling them with either Toxic or Scald. As a huge bonus, Toxic can also hit any Pokemon that has a Flying typing or the Levitate ability, such as Togekiss, Dragonite, and Rotom-W. The last moveslot is a toss-up between Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes. Rapid Spin is an important move because entry hazards are ridiculously prevalent in DW. Toxic Spikes, though, is greatly appreciated by rain stall teams. The 108 EVs in Speed allow Tentacruel to outspeed Jolly Breloom and quickly create a Substitute before it can use Spore. The rest of the EVs are placed in HP and Defense to buff up Tentacruel defensively, although feel free to move some EVs to Special Defense. Rain Dish is the preferred ability here, as it helps Tentacruel regain health faster. If your team has problems with Conkeldurr, Venusaur, or Ferrothorn, then you can opt to use Liquid Ooze. Remember, though, that without the extra HP recovery from Rain Dish, Tentacruel will have a tough time against foes. Tentacruel can run Protect in the fourth moveslot to prolong Toxic damage, as well as scout the foe and recover health. Politoed is a given partner, as it is vital that rain stays in play for as long as possible. However, Tyranitar can easily waltz in and change the weather, which will seriously hamper Tentacruel. Politoed can actually defeat Tyranitar with a Choice Specs Focus Blast; otherwise, you should have Pokemon such as Scizor, Breloom, or Dugtrio that can check it. Two other counters that this set cannot beat are Vaporeon and Manaphy, as both of them can use Hydration to purge themselves of Toxic and burn. Vaporeon is stopped cold by Ferrothorn and is easily obliterated by Zapdos, Thundurus, and Rotom-W. These four Pokemon also have excellent synergy with Tentacruel and, in addition, benefit immensely from the rain. Manaphy is a lot tougher to take down; the best you can do is to send in a powerful Pokemon that can obliterate it with a super effective move before it sets up with Calm Mind.

Toxic Spikes is invaluable in a tier with numerous grounded threats such as Kabutops, Garchomp, and Kyogre, and Tentacruel has the right combination of Speed, bulk, and resistances to be able to set entry hazards in nearly any game. Rapid Spin augments Tentacruel's usefulness as a lead, enabling it to ward off hazards from leads such as Deoxys-S, Tyranitar, and Cloyster. Ice Beam allows Tentacruel to chip Giratina-O switchins, giving it a chance to spin in longer games. Icy Wind's Speed drops further increase Tentacruel's utility, decreasing its passivity versus ambitious setup sweepers and heftily damaging Rayquaza and Shaymin-S. However, it is not useful against leads that attempt to trick Tentacruel a Choice item. Hydro Pump is Tentacruel's strongest STAB move, threatening leads such as Forretress, Scizor, and Tyranitar. Lastly, Protect is a good option that allows Tentacruel to scout various leads that attempt to use Trick to incapacitate it. Tentacruel can opt for a Lum Berry to set Toxic Spikes on Darkrai's Dark Void, while Mail allows it to set Toxic Spikes against leads that attempt to shut it down with Trick. A Focus Sash guarantees Toxic Spikes versus Deoxys-A leads. Tentacruel's Speed investment ensures that it outpaces all lead Rayquaza, even with the IV drop from Hidden Power Fire. 200 HP and 68 SpD EVs allow Tentacruel to always survive Psycho Boost from Timid Deoxys-S. An alternate EV spread with 52 Def / 240 SpA / 216 Spe and Ice Beam over Icy Wind is viable. This lets Tentacruel 3HKO 0 HP / 0 SpD Giratina-O while also OHKOing Shaymin-S and Naive Rayquaza. The Defense investment gives Forretress's Payback only a 1.9% chance to 3HKO, while Jolly Tyranitar's Payback still won't KO after 2 rounds of sand damage. Generally, more defensive teams will appreciate the former spread, as Tentacruel can appreciate the longevity more HP provides and Icy Wind has defensive utility. Some offense teams will tend to benefit from the latter spread's ability to actively damage threats while having a more realistic shot of using Rapid Spin versus teams with Giratina-O. Lastly, Clear Body is chosen over Liquid Ooze because it prevents Froslass from lowering Tentacruel's Speed with Icy Wind. Good teammates for Tentacruel tend to take advantage of Toxic Spikes. Powerful offensive partners include Dialga, Palkia, Giratina-O, and Ho-Oh. They tend to frighten off Levitate users and Flying- and Steel-types, which are immune to Toxic Spikes, and lure in checks susceptible to them. Giratina-O in particular is able to block Rapid Spin, ensuring that Tentacruel's Toxic Spikes remain up for the whole game versus some teams. Ho-Oh also deserves a special mention, as Tentacruel's fast Rapid Spin can mitigate its 4x Stealth Rock weakness. Other Stealth Rock-weak offensive Pokemon that appreciate Rapid Spin include Rayquaza, Shaymin-S, and Salamence. On defensive teams, Lugia is a valuable partner; Toxic Spikes help it Pressure stall more effectively, and Rapid Spin can mitigate its Stealth Rock weakness. Other stall-oriented Pokemon that benefit from Toxic Spikes support include Stalltwo, Ludicolo, Heatran, Gliscor, and Giratina. Lastly, Pokemon that do not appreciate residual damage from Toxic Spikes make good Tentacruel teammates, given its ability to absorb them simply by switching in. These include Choice Specs Kyogre, Choice Scarf Palkia, and Rock Polish Groudon. Tentacruel's largest purpose is setting Toxic Spikes. Therefore, this should be the move clicked first in most scenarios. Whether Tentacruel sets one or two layers, however, depends on its user's prediction of the opponent's team and one's own team. If the opponent leads Rayquaza or Deoxys-S, for instance, one can assume the opponent's team is offense. Conversely, a more defensive team is to be expected when the opponent leads a Pokemon like Forretress or Scizor. Assuming one's own team is not especially passive, it makes sense to only set one layer of Toxic Spikes versus offensive teams; the opponent's Pokemon will not be in play long enough for Toxic damage to accumulate to any sizable amount. If one's own team lacks much of a way to directly damage the foe, however, it's more rational to set two layers of Toxic Spikes versus offensive teams. If the Tentacruel user is running a passive team and anticipates the same from their opponent, it's logical to strive for two layers of Toxic Spikes versus their lead, and also potentially keep Tentacruel healthy so it can absorb Toxic Spikes the opponent may set or clear away other entry hazards with Rapid Spin.