Hydrapple Movesets & Competitive Sets

Choice Specs Hydrapple is a dangerous wallbreaker that provides a lot of defensive utility through its typing to answer threats like Excadrill, Sandy Shocks, and Ogerpon. Leaf Storm and Draco Meteor are powerful and spammable STAB moves despite the Special Attack drop drawback. Earth Power provides coverage against Steel-types like Tinkaton and Heatran. Hydrapple lacks coverage outside of Earth Power, so Fickle Beam is usually preferred to have a secondary Dragon-type STAB move that doesn't have the ramification of lowering its Special Attack. Similarly, Giga Drain is another option to provide a secondary Grass-type STAB move that doesn't force Hydrapple to switch out and provides it with more longevity. Regenerator helps Hydrapple answer Excadrill and the Ogerpon formes and provides ample opportunities for Hydrapple to get into a position to wallbreak by keeping it healthy across a match. The EV spread allows Hydrapple to outspeed Azumarill and Ursaluna while maximizing its damage output. Tera Steel should primarily be used for its defensive value to flip the matchup against threats like Latios, Weavile, and Scizor. Tera Fairy allows Hydrapple to combat Latios and opposing Hydrapple. However, Hydrapple should only Terastallize when necessary, as giving up its great defensive typing greatly hinders its matchup against Pokemon like Rotom-W and Excadrill. Hydrapple fits best on offensive teams that can help it get in safely and take pressure off it being the sole answer to the likes of Excadrill and Ogerpon. Pivots such as Tornadus-T and Cobalion are fantastic partners for these reasons; the former forms a Regenerator core, while the latter can punish Pokemon like Scizor and Lokix with Thunder Wave, crippling them for Hydrapple to outspeed. Steel-types like Tinkaton and Metagross prevent Hydrapple from easily locking into its STAB moves, so Pokemon like Excadrill, Slowking, and Sandy Shocks can help check and apply pressure on them. Excadrill notably provides Rapid Spin support to prevent Hydrapple being worn down by entry hazards and can act as a check to Latios, allowing Hydrapple to preserve the option to Terastallize. Sandy Shocks can provide Spikes support to wear down Pokemon like specially defensive Tyranitar and Toxapex into OHKO range while also checking Tornadus-T. Assault Vest Tornadus-T is a fairly consistent pivot into Hydrapple, so it is essential to have means to overwhelm it. Tyranitar, Tinkaton, and Rhyperior can provide Stealth Rock support to restrict Tornadus-T's ability to pivot into Hydrapple while being great defensive checks to Tornadus-T. Tinkaton can also provide Knock Off support to help remove key items like Tornadus-T's Assault Vest. Other Knock Off users like Scizor and Lokix can also achieve this while also getting Hydrapple in against Pokemon they struggle to get through like Toxapex and Cobalion.

Hydrapple serves as a solid balance breaker, using its bulk and offensive prowess to handle threats like Excadrill while also being scary for foes like Tornadus-T and Metagross once it has set up Nasty Plot. It also has Regenerator to heal off any damage taken while checking these threats, allowing it to potentially repeat this process later in the game. Fickle Beam is an alternative move over Draco Meteor so Hydrapple can avoid the Special Attack drop while having a chance to deal more damage than Draco Meteor, allowing it to maintain its Nasty Plot boosts and to remain a big threat after firing it off. However using Fickle Beam means Hydrapple can miss out on KOs against foes like Zarude and Tornadus-T if the boost doesn't activate. Earth Power provides coverage for Steel-types like Tinkaton and Heatran so that they cannot easily come in to cause issues for Hydrapple. Heavy-Duty Boots serves to make Hydrapple's healing from Regenerator more effective while improving its longevity by removing its vulnerability to entry hazards, as it commonly has to utilize its great typing to switch into powerful wallbreakers like Excadrill and Ogerpon. Maximum HP and 92 Defense lets Hydrapple avoid the 2HKO from Choice Specs Keldeo's Secret Sword as well as making it incredibly difficult for physical attackers to break, letting it better soak up U-turn from Scizor, Lokix, and Zarude as well as powerful hits from wallbreakers like Ogerpon-C or Excadrill so that it can more easily set up Nasty Plot. Tera Steel improves its matchup against Ogerpon-C while also giving it a Toxic immunity to help against Toxapex and Mandibuzz, a Flying resistance so it can set up Nasty Plot in front of Tornadus-T, and a Fairy resistance useful for dodging an OHKO from Choice Band Azumarill's Play Rough in case of emergency. Tera Fairy lets it set up more easily on Latios and opposing Hydrapple without gaining weaknesses to Quaquaval and Weavile. However, Terastallizing Hydrapple removes its beneficial resistances to Ground and Electric, making it tougher to handle Volt Switch users such as Sandy Shocks and Rotom-W. Hydrapple acts as a solid wallbreaker for balance and bulky offensive playstyles, using its defensive profile to switch into foes that are offensively threatening or tough to break and then becoming a threat of its own. Slowking is a nice partner for it, forming a double Regenerator core that helps work around some problems for Hydrapple such as Tornadus-T and Tinkaton while acting a secondary Water resist in the event Hydrapple needs to Tera. Slowking also slow pivots to Hydrapple with Chilly Reception after soaking up a hit, allowing Hydrapple to either be a bigger threat due to having more HP or get its HP back from Regenerator more easiliy. Additionally, Slowking can use Thunder Wave against foes like Tinkaton and Mandibuzz to make them slower than Hydrapple, allowing it to more easily set up Nasty Plot. Cobalion is also a good teammate, defensively answering Scizor and Lokix, which can pose problems with their strong U-turn should they switch in on Hydrapple when it’s chipped. Hydrapple appreciates teammates that can help wear down Tinkaton into Earth Power range such as Lokix and Tornadus-T. It also appreciates Pokemon that can help pressure or defensively answer Flying-types such as Tyranitar or Rhyperior. Hydrapple appreciates Stealth Rock setters like the previously mentioned Cobalion and Rhyperior to get targets into range of its boosted attacks more easily. Sand teams appreciate Hydrapple's defensive profile in tandem with Regenerator, it can use an Eject Button to safely bring in Excadrill and act as check to opposing Excadrill and Keldeo, which can be scary for sand teams otherwise.

Hydrapple serves as a solid balance breaker, using its bulk and offensive prowess to handle threats like Excadrill while also being scary for foes like Tornadus-T and Metagross once it has set up Nasty Plot. It also has Regenerator to heal off any damage taken while checking these threats, allowing it to potentially repeat this process later in the game. Fickle Beam is an alternative move over Draco Meteor so Hydrapple can avoid the Special Attack drop while having a chance to deal more damage than Draco Meteor, allowing it to maintain its Nasty Plot boosts and to remain a big threat after firing it off. However using Fickle Beam means Hydrapple can miss out on KOs against foes like Zarude and Tornadus-T if the boost doesn't activate. Earth Power provides coverage for Steel-types like Tinkaton and Heatran so that they cannot easily come in to cause issues for Hydrapple. Heavy-Duty Boots serves to make Hydrapple's healing from Regenerator more effective while improving its longevity by removing its vulnerability to entry hazards, as it commonly has to utilize its great typing to switch into powerful wallbreakers like Excadrill and Ogerpon. Maximum HP and 92 Defense lets Hydrapple avoid the 2HKO from Choice Specs Keldeo's Secret Sword as well as making it incredibly difficult for physical attackers to break, letting it better soak up U-turn from Scizor, Lokix, and Zarude as well as powerful hits from wallbreakers like Ogerpon-C or Excadrill so that it can more easily set up Nasty Plot. Tera Steel improves its matchup against Ogerpon-C while also giving it a Toxic immunity to help against Toxapex and Mandibuzz, a Flying resistance so it can set up Nasty Plot in front of Tornadus-T, and a Fairy resistance useful for dodging an OHKO from Choice Band Azumarill's Play Rough in case of emergency. Tera Fairy lets it set up more easily on Latios and opposing Hydrapple without gaining weaknesses to Quaquaval and Weavile. However, Terastallizing Hydrapple removes its beneficial resistances to Ground and Electric, making it tougher to handle Volt Switch users such as Sandy Shocks and Rotom-W. Hydrapple acts as a solid wallbreaker for balance and bulky offensive playstyles, using its defensive profile to switch into foes that are offensively threatening or tough to break and then becoming a threat of its own. Slowking is a nice partner for it, forming a double Regenerator core that helps work around some problems for Hydrapple such as Tornadus-T and Tinkaton while acting a secondary Water resist in the event Hydrapple needs to Tera. Slowking also slow pivots to Hydrapple with Chilly Reception after soaking up a hit, allowing Hydrapple to either be a bigger threat due to having more HP or get its HP back from Regenerator more easiliy. Additionally, Slowking can use Thunder Wave against foes like Tinkaton and Mandibuzz to make them slower than Hydrapple, allowing it to more easily set up Nasty Plot. Cobalion is also a good teammate, defensively answering Scizor and Lokix, which can pose problems with their strong U-turn should they switch in on Hydrapple when it’s chipped. Hydrapple appreciates teammates that can help wear down Tinkaton into Earth Power range such as Lokix and Tornadus-T. It also appreciates Pokemon that can help pressure or defensively answer Flying-types such as Tyranitar or Rhyperior. Hydrapple appreciates Stealth Rock setters like the previously mentioned Cobalion and Rhyperior to get targets into range of its boosted attacks more easily. Sand teams appreciate Hydrapple's defensive profile in tandem with Regenerator, it can use an Eject Button to safely bring in Excadrill and act as check to opposing Excadrill and Keldeo, which can be scary for sand teams otherwise.

Hydrapple provides a crucial neutrality to Fire-type attacks for Grass teams, making use of its amazing bulk, coverage, and ability to take on threats to its teammates like Heatran and Ogerpon-H. Draco Meteor is a far more common STAB option for Hydrapple due to its consistent BP, but Fickle Beam can tickle your gambling addiction if you're feeling lucky, with the added benefit of not reducing Special Attack. Earth Power makes for excellent coverage in the face of Fire-types like Ninetales and Cinderace, as well as Steel-types like Heatran and non-Air Ballon Gholdengo, while Giga Drain grants a nice secondary STAB to keep Hydrapple healthy, especially if it forgoes Recover for Substitute. Substitute takes advantage of passive foes like Toxapex and Quagsire to accrue Nasty Plot boosts. The given Speed EVs let Hydrapple outpace uninvested Tyranitar and Azumarill. Hydrapple appreciates being paired with Meowscarada and Ogerpon-C for their coverage against Dragon- and Flying-types, and the latter of which can threaten Fire- and Ice-types as well. Ogerpon-H is a perfect answer to Steel-types like Scizor and Heatran, while also outputting a general exerting pressure that can even threaten Flying-types. Amoonguss provides a neutrality to Poison and Bug, taking on physical Bug-types like Scizor with Foul Play while dissuading other Bug-types like Volcarona and Frosmoth from switching in with the threat of Toxic. Amoonguss also has the added benefit of incapacitating shared threats between it and Hydrapple with Spore, like Mamoswine and Galarian Zapdos. Heatproof Sinistcha alleviates some pressure from Hydrapple as a sole Fire neutrality, while also being neutral to Bug like Amoonguss. Breloom is a powerful Focus Sash lead, trading with Dark-type threats like Weavile and Roaring Moon, and even Flying-types with both Spore and Rock Tomb. Rotom-C is a solid teammate thanks to its Flying neutrality, threatening Flying-types with Electric STAB and offering disruption with Trick and Will-O-Wisp. Iron Leaves and Hisuian Lilligant are both potent setup sweepers, making use of their great speed and coverage if given a single setup opportunity, augmented further by Spore support. Rillaboom is a great partner for Grass teams, offering passive healing with Grassy Terrain and picking off weakened foes with priority Grassy Glide. Brambleghast offers great hazard control, setting up Spikes and using Rapid Spin to support Hydrapple should it have its Heavy-Duty Boots removed.

Hydrapple is a good potential wallbreaker for Dragon teams with its two amazing STAB moves in Giga Drain and Fickle Beam, both of which can ease the matchup against Water and Ground teams. At +2, Giga Drain keeps Hydrapple healthy in battle while also hitting pesky Water- and Ground-types like Swampert, Ursaluna, and Great Tusk. Fickle Beam after a Nasty Plot boost threatens Dragon-types such as Garchomp, as well as having a chance to dish out double the damage to land an OHKO on Dragonite. Earth Power can be run over Fickle Beam to threaten Fire-, Steel-, and Poison-types like non-Air Balloon Heatran, Iron Treads, and Sneasler. Substitute works great in tandem with Hydrapple’s decent bulk and HP, making it easy for Hydrapple to set up on Pokemon such as Great Tusk, Hippowdon, and Dondozo. The given EV spread allows Hydrapple to outpace Hisuian Goodra while also maximizing its bulk. Garchomp is another good offensive Pokemon to pair with Hydrapple, as it can give entry hazard support while also checking Poison-, Steel-, and Fire-types for Hydrapple, like Alolan Muk, Hisuian Goodra, and Hisuian Arcanine. Hisuian Goodra is a great special wall to pair with Hydrapple, as it’s able to take hits from Flutter Mane and Greninja. Choice Specs Dragapult can help outspeed and defeat other threats to Hydrapple, such as Gholdengo, Flutter Mane, and Hatterene. With a +1 Thunderclap, Raging Bolt can take care of fast Flying-types that would threaten Hydrapple, like Enamorus. Latios is also a great teammate for Hydrapple, as it has access to Calm Mind and can help alleviate the matchup against Poison-types such as Galarian Weezing. Latias can be used as an alternative to Latios, as it can provide further utility in Healing Wish. Archaludon is a strong physical wall that can check Weavile and provide entry hazard support in Stealth Rock. In return, Hydrapple can take out troublesome Ground-types for the team like Quagsire, Great Tusk, and Ursaluna.

Hydrapple is an absolute menace in the Speed slot thanks to great all-around stats that allow it to not only consistently set up with Nasty Plot but also soft check bigger threats such as Ogerpon-W and Eternatus. Fickle Beam is a slightly more consistent Dragon-type STAB move that has the capability to hit extremely hard, especially after a Nasty Plot boost, while Draco Meteor gives more initial power but is less consistent over a long period. Giga Drain allows Hydrapple to keep itself healthier in longer matchups, while Leaf Storm allows for more immediate damage at the cost of forcing Hydrapple out a lot more often. Earth Power is Hydrapple's best coverage move, as it nails Poison- and Steel-types such as Clodsire, Galarian Slowking, Necrozma-DM, and Gholdengo. Tera Steel lets Hydrapple check opposing Dragon- and Fairy-types like Eternatus and Arceus-Fairy while making it immune to Toxic from Clodsire and flipping its 4x Ice-type weakness to a resistance, which can aid with beating Kyurem-W one-on-one, while Tera Ground allows Hydrapple to gain STAB on Earth Power as well as dampening its Ice weakness. The given EV spread aims to maximize Hydrapple's bulk to help it check the likes of Ogerpon and Great Tusk while also optimizing its Speed from multiple different donations. 56 Speed EVs and a Timid nature lets it outspeed Landorus-T and uninvested base 90 Pokemon with base 90 Speed; Timid Kyogre, Kyurem-W, and their receivers with base 120 Speed; and finally, base 110s like the Ogerpon formes and Latios with a base 138 Speed donation. With base 138 Speed specifically, the latter EV spread is more efficient, as Hydrapple will outspeed Ogerpon and can therefore be more of an initial threat. Hydrapple fits best on offense teams that tend to be a bit bulkier, so gods such as Arceus-Ghost and Zacian-C not only donate a fantastic Speed stat but also pair well with Hydrapple, as the former can pressure opposing Steel-types, while the latter can pressure opposing Dragon-types. While Hydrapple can sweep, entry hazards from the likes of Hisuian Samurott and Ting-Lu help Hydrapple have an easier time sweeping by softening up its checks. On that note, Knock Off users such as the aforementioned Hisuian Samurott and Clefable can rid foes of their Heavy-Duty Boots to allow the chip damage from the hazards to stick.

12 Speed EVs allow Hydrapple to outspeed Ting-Lu.

With fantastic natural bulk and Special Attack, Hydrapple is a powerful setup sweeper and wallbreaker capable of easily remaining healthy throughout games thanks to Regenerator. Its typing enables it to sit on defensive staples like Slowbro, Celesteela, and Rotom-W as well as offensive threats like Iron Boulder, Zeraora, and Aegislash. Draco Meteor is typically preferred alongside Dragonium Z to maximize Hydrapple's power, allowing it to break past defensive answers in Celesteela, Blissey, and Scizor at +4, but Fickle Beam can be used as a more accurate attack that lets Hydrapple retain its boosts after multiple uses. Leaf Storm allows Hydrapple to OHKO Keldeo and Iron Boulder unboosted and threaten Dragon-immune options like Enamorus and Mega Gardevoir. Recover bolsters Hydrapple's already impressive longevity, notably allowing it to more reliably defeat Celesteela and Scizor, but Earth Power is also a great option to decimate Iron Moth attempting to switch in and eliminate Aegislash and Magnezone more easily. While Dragonium Z is preferred to help Hydrapple heavily damage potential checks like Mega Venusaur on the switch in, Heavy-Duty Boots can be utilized on teams without entry hazard control options so Hydrapple can more reliably utilize Regenerator to remain healthy. Eject Pack is a niche option on offense teams that can maintain momentum, turning Hydrapple into an one-time offensive pivot. Hydrapple's EV spread allows it to outspeed and OHKO Magic Guard Clefable with Leaf Storm at +2 and survive a neutral Iron Moth Sludge Wave from full health while not being 2HKOed by Choice Scarf Mienshao's Close Combat. Thanks to its offensive prowess and defensive profile, Hydrapple can be used on nearly any team, helping offense teams shore up matchups against dangerous threats like Iron Boulder and Zeraora while helping defensive teams break through opposing defensive structures. While Hydrapple can take on nearly any threat from full health, options like Draco Meteor Mega Latias and Buginium Z Scizor threaten to KO it from high, if not full, health. Strong Steel-type teammates like Scizor, Celesteela, and Aegislash can help against these threats, and Hydrapple can work in tandem with them to wear down shared checks like Celesteela as well as handle threats like Zeraora and Rotom-W that tend to switch in against them. Hydrapple also appreciates offensive pivots such as Mienshao and Iron Moth to bring it in against their defensive checks like Buzzwole and Slowking; Hydrapple can handle these as well as faster threats like Iron Boulder and Zeraora for them. Magnezone is also a notable partner for Hydrapple; given that the two most reliable Hydrapple checks are Scizor and Celesteela, removing them can often allow Hydrapple to decimate the remainder of the opposing team. Hydrapple also covers Magnezone's Ground-type weakness, easily switching into Hippowdon and Excadrill.

172 Speed EVs lets Hydrapple outspeed Pelipper. This is the sample set before we work on new analyses. This will be updated as the metagame continues to develop. Stay tuned!

This set's write-up has not started yet, but here's some basic info to get you started! EV Spread: This survives Horn Leech followed by Ivy Cudgel from Terastallized Adamant Ogerpon-H thanks to a jump point in Defense, and is not OHKOed by Modest Choice Specs Gholdengo's Make It Rain. 0 Speed IV: This is used in conjunction with Eject Pack and a Special Attack dropping move to pivot as late as possible, underspeeding Garganacl before it uses Curse in particular.