Octillery Movesets & Competitive Sets

This set attempts to utilize Octillery as a wallbreaker on Trick Room with a Life Orb to allow Octillery to fire off its good coverage. However, there is very little reason to use Octillery over Beheeyem, which has a higher Special Attack stat as well as Nasty Plot, meaning it doesn't have to predict as often to wallbreak.

Moves Hydro Pump gets a STAB boost and 2HKOes most Pokemon in the tier that don't resist it. Fire Blast heavily damages Pokemon that Hydro Pump doesn't hit neutrally, such as Roselia, Tangela, and Klang. Energy Ball allows Octillery to take on other Water-types such as Floatzel and Kingler. Ice Beam hits Flying- and Dragon-types such as Pelipper, Swanna, Zweilous, and Fraxure. Set Details A Modest nature with maximum Special Attack allows Octillery to deal the most damage possible, and 44 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed uninvested base 50 Speed Pokemon such as Audino and Carbink. The remaining EVs go into HP to allow Octillery to survive as many hits as it can. If Octillery is going to be used with Trick Room, it should use a Quiet nature with no Speed EVs or IVs to allow it be as slow as possible to underspeed Probopass, Beheeyem, and other faster Pokemon. Choice Specs heavily increases the power of Octillery's moves at the expense of locking it into a single one. Life Orb allows Octillery to switch moves while still providing a power boost, but makes Octillery miss the 2HKO on Pokemon such as Lickilicky and Hypno and wears Octillery down more quickly. Sniper can allow Octillery to do even more damage on a critical hit, but it is very unreliable. Usage Tips Octillery works best under Trick Room, especially if the setter provides Explosion or Memento support like Carbink and Misdreavus do, respectively. It also works well alongside Thunder Wave and Sticky Web users, as they can also help alleviate Octillery's poor Speed. Octillery could also work on a balanced team, considering how it doesn't have the necessary Speed to keep up with more offensive teams. Hydro Pump should be used the majority of the time unless the opponent has a Pokemon with Water Absorb such as Politoed or a Pokemon that resists Water such as Roselia. Weaken special walls such as Grumpig and Audino before attempting to spam Octillery's attacks so that it doesn't face as much resistances or get stalled out. Octillery has no forms of recovery, so it can be worn down by VoltTurn teams. Even though it has solid defensive stats, it shouldn't switch into strong attackers such as Ursaring and Stoutland. If Octillery is using Choice Specs, it is preferred to predict the foe's switch to punish the switch-in. However, be cautious because Octillery will be locked into that move. If possible, stay away from Pokemon with Knock Off, because losing its item takes away a lot of power from Octillery and can make it much easier for the opposing team to deal with it. Team Options Trick Room setters such as Gourgeist, Dusknoir, and Carbink can allow Octillery to make up for its subpar Speed. Slow wallbreakers such as Rampardos, Ursaring, Glaceon, and Zweilous can also deal significant damage under Trick Room. Entry hazard setters such as Carbink and Quilladin can help Octillery deal more damage against the opposing team. This can also help Octillery 2HKO Pokemon such as Audino. Cleaners such as Mr. Mime, and Ninetales appreciate Octillery's wallbreaking to give them an easier time sweeping late-game. Powerful physical attackers such as Stoutland, Arbok and Kingler can challenge special walls that trouble Octillery. Pokemon such as Roselia, Tangela, Gourgeist-XL, and Klang can take Electric- and Grass-type moves for Octillery. Pokemon such as Grumpig and Stunfisk can paralyze foes, allowing Octillery to outspeed them. A slow Volt Switch or U-turn from Pokemon such as Probopass and Pelipper can allow Octillery to get in the battlefield on a free switch.

This is, quite simply, Octillery's best set, as Octillery really needs the raw power provided by Choice Specs to break through certain threats. This extra power is especially important for securing the OHKO on Skuntank and Gardevoir after Stealth Rock with Hydro Pump. Hydro Pump is the main move on this set and hits most Pokemon that don't resist it hard. Ice Beam hits Flying- and Dragon-types for good damage while hitting Grass-types accurately. Energy Ball gives important coverage against Seismitoad as well as other Water-types, although Hydro Pump hit many Water-types reasonably hard as well. Fire Blast is on this set to hit important Grass-types such as Ludicolo (it does over 50% damage to Rain Dance variants, which, along with Stealth Rock, is good enough to make sure they don't get a free switch-in). Choice Specs is the only option on the main set for the reasons stated above. Life Orb is definitely a good alternative, though, as while it might miss out on the previously mentioned important KOs, it allows Octillery to switch around moves, therefore making better use of its brilliant coverage. Keep in mind that Life Orb is more hazard-reliant, while Choice Specs is more prediction-reliant. The EVs let Octillery outspeed Alomomola, which it can 2HKO with Energy Ball. Although Sniper is the recommended ability, as the results can be devastating for the opponent if the Octillery user gets lucky, Suction Cups is also a choice on Baton Pass teams where Octillery can make use of Speed boosts from the likes of Ninjask and Special Attack boosts from other Baton Passers. A Life Orb or Expert Belt set is more suited to Baton Pass teams, as is Water Spout, which is a great option here to spam when Octillery is at full health. Pokemon that set up entry hazards, such as Golem and Roselia, make for good partners as well. The two also have the added benefit of being able to switch into Electric-type attacks with impunity, but do note that Golem shares a weakness to Grass with Octillery. Roselia is particularly effective, as it can take down the Grass-types that threaten Octillery with their STAB moves as well. Trick Room is great for Octillery, as it can "outspeed" most Pokemon under it and start firing off strong special attacks; for this reason, Duosion and Musharna make for good partners. If Octillery is being used under Trick Room, a Quiet nature along with 0 Speed IVs should be used.

The goal of these sets is to hit opponents as hard as possible with varying Speed and power, depending on your choice of items. A Modest nature with Choice Specs maximizes Octillery's power and allows it to outpace most walls in UU, as well. A Timid nature with Choice Scarf, meanwhile, morphs Octillery into an unexpected revenge killer, as it will outspeed all neutral base 100s and maximum Speed base 90s. Water Spout is the key to making both these sets successful, as it will hit extremely hard, even when unboosted. It is also very difficult to switch into, due to its excellent neutral type coverage, so Octillery won't mind being locked into it. Surf is necessary to cover Water Spout when Octillery's HP falls below 63% while Energy Ball and Ice Beam are givens as they provide excellent type coverage. Thanks to its newest move, Water Spout, Octillery makes a respectable Choice Scarf user in the lower tiers, while a Choice Specs set is a no-brainer. Although it is slower than fellow Water Spout users Blastoise and Wailord, it hits the hardest (even with a Timid nature). It also has the benefit of Energy Ball, which not only hits Water-types for higher damage than Hidden Power, but also has the opportunity to lower Special Defense. For Choice Specs, a Modest nature is recommended, as Octillery will want all the power it can get. A full-powered Choice Specs-boosted Water Spout is incredibly powerful coming off a 105 base Special Attack, especially when it gets STAB. To put it in perspective, it has a tiny chance to 2HKO Chansey after Stealth Rock damage, an incredible feat for any special attacker. Water Spout's impressive neutral type coverage also makes it very difficult to switch into safely, especially considering Octillery manages to outspeed many of UU's top walls. To avoid sounding like a broken record, Ice Beam and Energy Ball serve the same purpose here that they do in every Octillery set. When your HP falls below 63%, Surf will hit harder than Water Spout, which makes Surf a necessary supplementary STAB attack. It is also a good idea to use Surf if you are forced to take an attack before firing off one of your own, as Octillery's defenses will not keep it above 63% for long. For Choice Scarf, either nature is acceptable; as per the usual, the decision comes down to what you want to outspeed. Unfortunately, with a Modest nature, Octillery falls one heartbreaking Speed point shy of tying maximum Speed base 80s, which is necessary for it to fully check threats like Blaziken, Kabutops, Medicham, and Venusaur. It still does a decent job of checking these Pokemon, as they often will be running neutral-Speed natures. Timid nature earns the recommended choice, as you not only outspeed all base 80s, but also neutral base 100s and maximum Speed base 90s, a list that includes common variants of Arcanine, Magmortar, Miltank, Nidoking, Leafeon, and Moltres. With a Choice Scarf, Octillery excels as a revenge killer, as opponents will not expect Octillery to be attacking before sweepers like Moltres and Venusaur. Water Spout also makes it tricky to switch into, as any fragile Pokemon who doesn't resist it will surely take a beating. With its added Speed, Octillery can also rampage through teams in the late game once bulky Waters and speedy revenge killers are taken care of. Although these sets function quite differently, they benefit from many of the same teammates. Grass-types like Venusaur and Sceptile are recommended to cover Octillery's weaknesses and take out the bulky Waters that stand in its way. Taking out the few Pokemon who can easily take Octillery's attacks is important, as it will allow Octillery to punch holes in the rest of your opponent's Pokemon with ease. A Rapid Spinner is a must-have due to Water Spout's dependency on HP. Entry hazards of your own also help, as Octillery will often force switches. A Pokemon with Thunder Wave, such as Registeel, can help make opposing Pokemon slower than Octillery, which is a huge benefit.

Octillery makes a natural choice for a Baton Pass recipient due to its offensive prowess and Suction Cups ability. The goal of this set is to Baton Pass Octillery the stat boosts it needs in order to sweep. Speed is the number one priority, as Octillery's base 45 Speed will not get the job done on its own. Special Attack boosts are also great, as Octillery will be looking to score OHKOs to avoid relying on its mediocre defenses. With four strong attacks in its arsenal, it hits almost every Pokemon in UU for super effective damage. Fire Blast is recommended, as it 2HKOes Registeel after Stealth Rock damage. Charge Beam is great for boosting Octillery's Special Attack if you can find the opportunity to use it. Life Orb nets Octillery some key KOs against common opponents and thus is the recommended option, but Lum Berry can also come in handy, as sleep or paralysis will end any chances of a sweep. Octillery's ability, Suction Cups, as well as its amazing movepool and poor Speed make it a prime recipient of Speed boosts in UU. Its respectable base 105 Special Attack combined with effective coverage makes Octillery a top-notch sweeper in UU after it is passed some Speed. The hard-hitting trio of Surf, Energy Ball, and Ice Beam provide excellent type coverage. Surf is a given for STAB, Energy Ball hits pesky Water-types that will inevitably attempt to wall you, and Ice Beam hits Grass-types and Altaria. In the last slot, Fire Blast is recommended for super effective type coverage, as it hits Magneton, Dry Skin Toxicroak, and, most importantly, Registeel, whom it 2HKOes 100% of the time after Stealth Rock. It also hits Grass-types harder than Ice Beam if you are willing to gamble with its 85% accuracy and can OHKO 4/0 Venusaur without Stealth Rock damage, which Ice Beam can only do 75% of the time after Stealth Rock. Charge Beam is also a nice addition to this set, as it allows Octillery to boost its Special Attack in addition to damaging Water-types that attempt to wall it. The drawback is finding a time it can actually squeeze in a Charge Beam, which can be rare and risky. However, if Octillery can get a boost or two in this way (or better yet, from a Baton Passer), it will turn into an absolute wrecking ball and can sweep entire teams in a heartbeat. Life Orb is the recommended item, as Octillery needs the extra power, especially if it is not receiving Special Attack boosts. The important KOs listed above are typically only achievable with the aid of Life Orb. In addition, Milotic is 2HKOed almost 90% of the time by Energy Ball after Stealth Rock damage, which is extremely important, as Recover would otherwise allow it to wall Octillery. Lum Berry, however, is a good secondary item for a number of reasons. First, it allows Octillery to come in on expected status moves and shrug them off, especially in the case of Registeel. It also protects against specially defensive Clefable and Altaria, who usually resort to Toxic in order to damage Octillery. Additionally, powerful priority moves, such as Absol's Sucker Punch, can do up to 2/3 damage on Octillery, which makes Life Orb dangerous at times. There is certainly no shortage of Speed Passers in UU. Ambipom, Solrock, and Lopunny all specialize in this, just to name a few. Blaziken actually pulls this off very well, despite its rarity as a Baton Passer. Passing Agility is about the last thing opponents expect Blaziken to do, which certainly works to its advantage, as common switch-ins like Milotic and Slowbro can do nothing to prevent it from sending boosts Octillery's way. Octillery also handles Surfs aimed at Blaziken quite easily and can utilize Charge Beam for super effective damage and a chance to boost its Special Attack. Nasty Plot Passers are also certainly welcome and will greatly increase Octillery's chances of sweeping. Mr. Mime, Ambipom, and Hypno can all do this effectively in UU. Stealth Rock also helps Octillery net some key KOs, as shown by the above calculations, so it is a must-have for this set if Special Attack boosts are not in the cards.

Octillery's low speed and good offensive stats make it a natural beneficiary of Trick Room. The key to using this set is to get Octillery in for free after using Trick Room and letting it run wild on your opponent's team. Water Spout is the focal point of this set, as it will score a KO for Octillery the vast majority of the time when used at full health. Surf is necessary to supplement Water Spout, although Waterfall is also an option if you fear Chansey. Expert Belt is preferred over Life Orb, as the latter would be shooting yourself in the foot due to the nature of Water Spout. Wave Incense is also an option to boost Water Spout's power against neutral opponents. For similar reasons to the Baton Pass Recipient set, Octillery also benefits immensely from Trick Room support. In Trick Room, it can not only utilize its terrible Speed, but also its newest move, Water Spout. Water Spout hits tremendously hard and essentially 2HKOes (at worst) everything that doesn't resist it. Water Spout is also the reason Life Orb should not be used, as Octillery will need to preserve its HP as best it can to do maximum damage. Expert Belt is a great option and will help score important 2HKOes on Water-types. Wave Incense is also an option if you would rather boost Octillery's Water-type moves, which isn't a bad idea on this set. Ice Beam and Energy Ball naturally follow Water Spout for type coverage, allowing Octillery to hit Grass-types, Water-types, and Altaria for super effective damage. Surf supplements Water Spout and is the stronger attack once Octillery's HP drops below 63%. Waterfall is also an option here, but is really only useful against Chansey. This set clearly revolves around giving Octillery the maximum amount of turns in Trick Room, which essentially means it needs a teammate that can twist the dimensions then get the hell out of the way. There are a number of Pokemon who can do this especially well, including Uxie, Mesprit, Exeggutor, and Solrock. All four of these Pokemon can set up Trick Room, and the former two can use U-turn, while the latter two can use Explosion. Both of these moves allow Octillery to not only get a free switch in, but also scout the opponent in some cases. Banette (Destiny Bond), Claydol (Explosion), and Cresselia (Lunar Dance) can also pull this off.

Set Description Surf is Octillery's best source of damage against neutral targets, including Hitmonchan, Chimecho, and Kecleon. Fire Blast targets Grass-types such as Roselia, Cacturne, and Bellossom. Additionally, its ability to OHKO lead Glalie and Venomoth makes it superior to more accurate moves like Ice Beam and Flamethrower. Hidden Power Electric rounds out Octillery's coverage by hitting Water-types like Wailord, Dewgong, and Pelipper super effectively, although Hidden Power Grass works as an alternative to target Relicanth as opposed to Pelipper for 4x super effective damage. Thunder Wave helps make up for Octillery's poor Speed and lets it support its team by crippling faster Pokemon like Golbat and Pidgeot. 84 Speed EVs let Octillery outspeed Relicanth, while the remaining EVs with a Modest nature make Octillery stronger and bulkier. Leftovers provides Octillery with useful recovery so it can pivot into certain attacks like Flareon's Flamethrower and Wailord's Surf more frequently, although Lum Berry is a great option if Octillery is being used as a lead to improve its matchup against Venomoth. Suction Cups is mostly useless, although it's nice to prevent the foe from phazing Octillery to rack up Spikes damage. If Octillery isn't being used as a lead, it is ideal to bring it in on weak, resisted attacks such as Flareon's Flamethrower and Wailord's Surf to preserve its HP. Once on the field, the goal should be to take advantage of Octillery's great coverage to hit predicted switch-ins such as Roselia and Pelipper with the appropriate coverage move. If the opponent has a dedicated special wall like Kecleon or Vigoroth, paralyzing it with Thunder Wave or simply switching out to a check is ideal. When Octillery is in the lead slot, the main goal will be to force out opposing leads with Octillery's positive matchup against them to reveal other members and get hard hits off early-game. Team Options Pokemon such as Pupitar, Calm Mind Chimecho, and Haunter appreciate Octillery's wallbreaking support enabling them to clean late-game more effectively. Because Octillery isn't as reliable as other Water-types at switching into Fire- and Water-type attacks, Pokemon like Flareon and Roselia are useful to provide secondary switch-ins to such attacks. Flareon can also bring Octillery in against Pokemon like Torkoal and Relicanth with Baton Pass, Roselia's Spikes help support Octillery's wallbreaking, and both can switch into Grass-type attacks. Normal- and Flying-types such as Raticate, Pidgeot, and Murkrow benefit from Octillery pressuring Rock- and Steel-types; in return, they help against special walls.

Set Description Surf is Octillery's best move to use against neutral targets such as Hitmonchan, Chimecho, and Vigoroth. Ice Beam targets Grass-types such as Roselia, Cacturne, and Tropius and is generally preferred to Fire Blast for its greater accuracy despite requiring two Special Attack boosts to OHKO Roselia. Hidden Power Electric gives Octillery a way to threaten Water-types like Wailord and Dewgong. Substitute shields Octillery from status moves and critical hits. 144 Speed EVs enable Octillery to outspeed Raticate after two Speed boosts, while the remaining EVs with a Modest nature improve its bulk and attacking power. Leftovers helps sustain Octillery's health and makes it even more difficult to take down, especially when it has multiple defensive boosts. Suction Cups prevents Octillery from being phazed after it has received stat boosts. Octillery should not be sent out by any means other than with Baton Pass in order to preserve its HP as well as possible; additionally, Octillery shouldn't be brought in unless it will receive multiple stat boosts and a Substitute. Once Octillery is on the field, very little prediction is required, especially if it has received two Special Attack and Speed boosts; it will essentially OHKO any target it can hit super effectively. In the event Octillery's Substitute gets broken, it's best to set another up immediately to prevent Octillery from being statused or taking a critical hit. Team Options This Octillery set should only be used on dedicated Baton Pass teams, which all follow a very similar formula. Venomoth is a great lead on such teams because it can put the opponent's lead to sleep with Sleep Powder and easily set up a Substitute, although Ariados can be used for Speed boosts and its ability to trap a passive foe with Spider Web. Mawile can help provide Defense boosts, while Plusle supplies Speed boosts. Delcatty gives Octillery its Special Attack and Special Defense boosts and can even pass Wish in case Octillery is entering a field with Spikes. Ledian makes setting up even easier for Octillery's teammates thanks to dual screens.

Set Description Surf and RestTalk are essential to Octillery's core function as a powerful Water-type with solid longevity. Hidden Power Electric most importantly hits other Octillery for a 3HKO and potentially 3HKOes Dewgong with a critical hit. At the very least, it consistently forces Dewgong to use Rest, providing entry for threats like Primeape and Stantler. Hidden Power Electric also retains the ability to hit Xatu and Fearow hard while using Sleep Talk, which Hidden Power Grass cannot do. Ice Beam leaves Octillery walled by other Octillery, but means it is no longer blocked from making progress by Gloom or other Grass-types and hits Xatu and Fearow much harder than Surf or Hidden Power Electric. It also prevents Dugtrio from having a two-thirds chance to not be hit by Octillery when it is asleep, making trying to fish for a non-damaging move to safely use Substitute and Screech much riskier, does not reduce Octillery's DVs, making answering Xatu much easier, and has a potentially crucial chance to freeze on any given usage, which over time can potentially shut down checks like Chinchou and other Hidden Power Electric Octillery. While Ice Beam seems to have much larger upside than Hidden Power Electric, giving free entry to opposing Octillery tends to be disastrous for many teams, so ideally it should be used alongside another Pokemon that can answer opposing Octillery. Team Options Pineco is a great partner for Octillery, as its Spikes make switching in Pokemon like Stantler and Wigglytuff that are neutral to Surf and can threaten Octillery much more punishing. Chinchou and Hitmonlee make running Ice Beam on Octillery a lot more forgiving, as they are great checks to other Octillery and appreciate it having a second move to hit Dugtrio and not losing bulk from Hidden Power Electric's DV requirements. Chinchou and Hitmonlee also answer Dewgong, which counters Ice Beam Octillery and can freely fish for freezes with its own Ice Beam. Xatu and Fearow are great answers to Hitmonlee and Grass-types like Gloom and Exeggcute that answer Hidden Power Electric Octillery while also helping Octillery not get overwhelmed by Dugtrio. Fearow, in addition to Wigglytuff, appreciates Octillery forcing Sudowoodo and Graveler to sacrifice themselves with Self-Destruct and Explosion, respectively, to break through it. This can result in a scenario where Sudowoodo is forced to choose between repeatedly coming into Fearow and Wigglytuff but giving up relatively free entry to Octillery or using Self-Destruct on Octillery but leaving its team vulnerable to Fearow and Wigglytuff. Octillery-weak Pokemon like Ninetales, Dugtrio, and Graveler enjoy having a Hidden Power Electric Octillery of their own to switch into other Octillery. All three of these Pokemon can also check Weezing, with Graveler also checking Fearow and spinning away Spikes for Octillery, while Ninetales helps build a sturdier defensive force against Xatu and Magmar. Rapidash also makes for a solid partner, as while its lesser bulk makes it a worse check to Weezing and Hidden Power Ground Magmar than Ninetales, it is much better at forcing damage on Chinchou and is a great answer to Sunny Day Ninetales. Porygon and Magmar are countered by Ninetales, so Octillery is a natural fit alongside them. Gloom and other Grass-types also like Octillery for the same reason, and aid in the Octillery mirror matchup too.