Level 30To Tentacruel

TentacruelLast stage shown

#0073 · GENERATION 1

Tentacruel Build Guide

WaterPoison

Specially bulky hazard support

Build a Tentacruel team ↓

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Starter moveset

Generation 9 · casual singles · base form

ITEMHeavy-Duty Boots

ABILITYClear Body

NATURETimid

Surf

Sludge Bomb

Rapid Spin

Toxic Spikes

How to play

Rapid Spin can remove entry hazards from your side and raise Speed if it successfully hits. Toxic Spikes can pressure eligible grounded opponents, while Boots protect Tentacruel on entry.

Watch out for

Key risk. Electric, Ground and Psychic attacks are super effective. Ghost types block Rapid Spin, and grounded Poison types can absorb Toxic Spikes. This set has no healing move.

About this example

This editorial starting point is not a ranked-format recommendation or a legality check. It does not specify EVs or Tera type. Moves, items and abilities here do not change the builder score.

BATTLE PLAN

When to attack, set up or switch

Rapid Spin can remove entry hazards from your side and raise Speed if it successfully hits. Toxic Spikes can pressure eligible grounded opponents, while Boots protect Tentacruel on entry.

Your side is covered in hazards

Use Rapid Spin only when the target cannot block it — a Ghost type turns that into a free hit. Setting Toxic Spikes is the reason to stay in instead.

The opponent can absorb your spikes

Grounded Poison types absorb Toxic Spikes rather than being badly poisoned by them. This set has no healing move, so weigh spinning against layering spikes.

What does a safe pivot mean?

A teammate uses a switching move to bring Tentacruel in. A slower pivot may take the opponent’s hit first. Turn order and the opponent’s move still matter.

ITEM & ABILITY

How this build works

Rapid Spin clears entry hazards from your side and raises Speed if it successfully hits. Heavy-Duty Boots keep Tentacruel out of hazard damage on entry, and Ghost types block Rapid Spin outright.

Watch the tradeoff. Electric, Ground and Psychic attacks are super effective. Ghost types block Rapid Spin, and grounded Poison types can absorb Toxic Spikes. This set has no healing move.

These battle mechanics do not change the builder’s type-and-base-stat score. The tool does not simulate moves, abilities, held items or damage.

COMPARE YOUR OPTIONS

Tentacruel or Toxapex?

Toxapex offers recovery and Regenerator, exchanging Rapid Spin and Speed for a slower defensive role.

Base stats · standard forms in the local Generation 9 dataset
Stat	Tentacruel	Toxapex
HP	80	50
Attack	70	63
Defense	65	152
Sp. Attack	80	53
Sp. Defense	120	142
Speed	100	35

Base stats are not final battle stats. Level, nature, IVs, EVs and battle effects affect the result. Check availability in your game before choosing an alternative.

Teammate ideas

A Ground partner covers Electric attacks. A Flying or Steel partner can help cover Ground or Psychic attacks.

Garchomp

Immune to Electric; Tentacruel resists Ice attacks.

Read Garchomp guide →Compare teammates →

Corviknight

Immune to Ground and resists Psychic; both need an Electric answer.

Read Corviknight guide →Compare teammates →

These are typing-based starting pairs, not a complete competitive team. Check the remaining four slots and your game’s rules.

Compare computed teammate suggestions →

Alternative: Toxapex

Toxapex offers recovery and Regenerator, exchanging Rapid Spin and Speed for a slower defensive role.

Read Toxapex guide →

Try Toxapex →

Type matchups

Weak to

Electric2×Ground2×Psychic2×

Resistances and immunities

Fire0.5×Water0.5×Ice0.5×Fighting0.5×Poison0.5×Bug0.5×Steel0.5×Fairy0.5×

Typing only. Abilities, items and battle effects can change these matchups.

HP80

Attack70

Defense65

Sp. Attack80

Sp. Defense120

Speed100

Evolution chain

Tentacool#072
Level 30
Tentacruel#073

Standard main-series evolution conditions. Regional forms and games with special evolution systems can differ.

Build your Tentacruel team

Start with Tentacruel. Add teammates and compare your type-and-base-stat score.

Gen 9 · National Dex · Casual Settings & scope

GameFormat

Format scope · casual planning

Base species #001–1025, using Generation 9 data. A casual planning pool, not a VGC, ranked, or Showdown National Dex legality validator. Regional, Mega and alternate forms are not included yet.

SLOT 01#073

Tentacruel

WaterPoison

SLOT 02

SLOT 03

SLOT 04

SLOT 05

SLOT 06

Understand your team

Offense79

Defense71

Coverage28

Synergy18

Types & base stats only · Not a win probability.

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Key insights

Electric attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Ground attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Your own types can hit 5 of 18 single-type targets super effectively. Actual move coverage can differ.

Detailed type analysis · all 18 types

Incoming damage assumes typing only. 0× = immune, ½× / ¼× = resistant, 2× / 4× = weak. Resistance counts include immunities.

Incoming damage by attacking type
Attack	Tentacruel	Weak	Resist
Normal	1×	0	0
Fire	½×	0	1
Water	½×	0	1
Electric	2×	1	0
Grass	1×	0	0
Ice	½×	0	1
Fighting	½×	0	1
Poison	½×	0	1
Ground	2×	1	0
Flying	1×	0	0
Psychic	2×	1	0
Bug	½×	0	1
Rock	1×	0	0
Ghost	1×	0	0
Dragon	1×	0	0
Dark	1×	0	0
Steel	½×	0	1
Fairy	½×	0	1

Offensive type coverage

Against single-type targets, using only same-type attacks. This is not coverage against every dual-type species.

NormalNeutral

Fire✓ Super effective

WaterNeutral

ElectricNeutral

Grass✓ Super effective

IceNeutral

FightingNeutral

PoisonNeutral

Ground✓ Super effective

FlyingNeutral

PsychicNeutral

BugNeutral

Rock✓ Super effective

GhostNeutral

DragonNeutral

DarkNeutral

SteelNeutral

Fairy✓ Super effective

How is the score calculated?

Offense (25%): neutral-or-better type coverage and strongest attacking base stats. Defense (30%): team resistances, unprotected and repeated weaknesses, and 4× vulnerabilities. Coverage (25%): fraction of 18 single-type targets hit super effectively by your own types. Synergy (20%): teammates resisting each other’s weaknesses, physical/special/bulk stat signals and base Speed ≥100. Scores are rounded to 0–100; the total uses the displayed subscores.

Rating bands: Excellent ≥80, Good ≥65, Fair ≥45, Poor below 45. An empty team has no rating.

Small teams are provisional and are not given a separate completion bonus. Adding a Pokémon can lower the score if it creates new weaknesses or lowers averages. These initial heuristics have not been calibrated against battle outcomes.