Tangela Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Giga Drain is Tangela's main way of dealing consistent damage while also functioning as a source of recovery and greatly punishing Pokemon weak to it such as Gastrodon and Regirock. Hidden Power Fire can be used to deal heavy damage to Abomasnow and Alolan Sandslash. Knock Off is a strong option due to its utility, allowing Tangela to pressure Pokemon such as Clefairy, Type: Null, Roselia, and Skuntank by removing their Eviolite or recovery items. This move can also scout for Z-Moves if it doesn't remove an item. Leech Seed supplies Tangela with another form of recovery that it can use to pressure switch-ins by racking up residual damage against them. Alternatively, Synthesis trades the ability to deliver chip damage for functioning as Tangela's most reliable form of recovery besides Regenerator, allowing it to heal 50% of its HP. Finally, Sleep Powder can incapacitate a threat from the opposing team and is a solid option against many Pokemon that take negligible damage from the rest of Tangela's attacks like Skuntank and Combusken. It can also be used to effectively prevent slower Pokemon such as Regirock and Clefairy from getting up Stealth Rock early-game. Set Details Regenerator combined with Tangela's physical bulk is an integral part of what makes this set viable, allowing it to negate one-third the amount of damage it may have taken by simply switching out. Eviolite is necessary for augmenting Tangela's bulk to function as an extremely sturdy physical wall against the majority of the tier. Usage Tips Although Tangela can be used at any point in the battle, its primary function is to utilize its massive Defense stat and pivot into physical attackers such as Kabutops, Kangaskhan, and Primeape. Utilizing Regenerator and the rest of Tangela's recovery options to keep it as healthy as possible is key in consistently addressing hard-hitting attackers such as Stoutland and can make dealing with late-game powerhouses like Belly Drum Zangoose and Lycanroc a lot easier as well. Tangela should generally avoid switching into special attackers unless it is a defensive Pokemon that it has a good matchup against, such as Gastrodon. It's good to be mindful of possible utility options that can be used to cripple Tangela, as moves such as Toxic and Knock Off can significantly disrupt it and reduce its longevity. Tangela's utility options in Leech Seed and Knock Off are very safe for pressuring the opposing team, while Sleep Powder can be quite impactful for incapacitating switch-ins or temporarily stopping slower Pokemon like Clefairy and Audino from doing their jobs throughout the match. Finally, Synthesis makes it easy to recover off damage once Tangela has been considerably weakened. Team Options Due to Tangela's massive Defense and mediocre Special Defense, defensive checks to popular special attackers form some of the best cores on balanced teams with it, such as Clefairy, Type: Null, Audino, and Lanturn. Meanwhile, they appreciate Tangela's ability to switch into powerful physical wallbreakers. They also provide responses to Toxic through Magic Guard, Rest, or Heal Bell, respectively. Although Tangela's bulk is still good without Eviolite, teammates that can sponge Knock Off such as Regirock and Silvally-Fairy are still great for alleviating pressure on it. Regirock can also switch into troublesome Pokemon that can otherwise easily KO Tangela, such as Oricorio-E, special Skuntank, and Oricorio-G. Silvally-Fairy can act as a secondary check to Dark-types like Absol and Alolan Raticate. Hazard control is ideal, as it allows Tangela to get the most out of its recovery from Regenerator when pivoting and not be constantly chipped from Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes. Hitmonchan can offer this role while checking special attackers like Eelektross and Aurorus. Skuntank can Pursuit trap special attackers like Haunter and absorbs Toxic Spikes for Tangela, while in return, Tangela can switch into Ground-types like Gastrodon and Alolan Dugtrio. Tangela's solid utility and Defense allows it to also fit on stall archetypes, pairing with staples like Audino and Pyukumuku that appreciate it offering support options like Knock Off and taking on hard-hitting physical attackers like Zangoose and Choice Band Primeape. Audino can remove any possible status ailment with Heal Bell and forms a strong Regenerator core with Tangela, which allows them to pivot between each other with ease while staying healthy.

Moves Giga Drain is Tangela's main STAB move and provides reliable damage and extra recovery. Hidden Power Fire is used to hit Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Mawile, and Cacturne, which resist Giga Drain. Sleep Powder gives Tangela some utility, letting it put troublesome threats to sleep and get free turns to gain momentum or KOs. Toxic is mainly used to cripple common switch-ins such as Bouffalant and Magmortar. Leech Seed is Tangela's main choice for recovery, as it not only heals Tangela over time but also damages foes, making it useful in sticky situations. Synthesis is Tangela's only source of instant recovery along with Regenerator and lets it switch with more freedom on attacks. Set Details 252 EVs in HP along with maximum Defense investment and a Bold nature are needed to maximize and make use of Tangela's physical bulk. Eviolite allows Tangela to be a good physical wall and also makes up a bit for its low Special Defense, putting it one step ahead of other bulky Grass-types such as Vileplume. Regenerator is what makes Tangela a good pivot, as it gives Tangela extra recovery, allowing it to switch in on foes constantly without getting worn down. Usage Tips Tangela is a physical wall and a bulky pivot, so it has to be brought in on physical attackers such as Kangaskhan and then use Sleep Powder or Toxic to cripple them or directly attack them. Giga Drain is the preferred move to use early-game to pull off reliable damage while recovering HP, while Toxic and Sleep Powder should also be used early on to cripple foes. Before switching in on a physical attacker, Tangela has to be careful about Knock Off users such as Hariyama, as they can remove its Eviolite, making it a lot easier to take down. Tangela has to be wary against special attackers such as Lilligant and Mismagius, as its Special Defense is mediocre even with Eviolite. Tangela must also take care against Sap Sipper users such as Bouffalant, as they can absorb its Grass-type moves. Team Options Tangela fits best on bulky offense and balance teams thanks to its ability to tank physical hits with ease and either retaliate or support its teammates. Tangela struggles against residual damage from status ailments and entry hazards, so Defog and Rapid Spin users and clerics are good teammates to remove entry hazards and status afflictions. Poison-types such as Garbodor are also appreciated, as they can both absorb Toxic Spikes, which trouble Tangela, and set up their own entry hazards to support Tangela and its teammates in getting KOs and wearing down foes, while Tangela also helps them by checking Ground-types such as Rhydon. Ground- and Rock-types such as Kabutops, Rhydon, and Carracosta have a good type synergy with Tangela, beating Fire-, Poison-, Bug-, and Flying-types while Tangela is able to check Ground- and Fighting-types for them.

Moves Leaf Storm is Tangela's main and most powerful STAB move, heavily damaging any Pokemon that doesn't resist it, but it comes at the cost of halving Tangela's Special Attack, which can potentially make Tangela setup fodder for Pokemon such as Lilligant and Xatu. Giga Drain is Tangela's secondary, consistent STAB move and main source of recovery outside of Regenerator. Ancient Power lets Tangela hit Fire-, Flying-, and Ice-types such as Magmortar, Scyther, Rotom-S, and especially Xatu, which is a very common counter to Tangela. However, most of them will still win a 1v1 situation if carrying an Assault Vest or if they are not caught on the switch. Sleep Powder lets Tangela put foes that otherwise counter it to sleep, especially physical threats and setup sweepers which could threaten the team. Hidden Power Fire is used to hit Grass- and Steel-types such as Lilligant, Klinklang, and Ferroseed super effectively. Set Details 224 Special Attack EVs with a Modest nature are used to make full use of Tangela's high Special Attack, increasing its damage output. 236 HP EVs along with 48 EVs in Defense make Tangela bulkier and allow it to tank a few physical hits, even strong ones such as Kabutops's Stone Edge, letting it avoid the 2HKO after Stealth Rock. Eviolite further increases Tangela's bulk and makes up a bit for its terrible Special Defense. Regenerator strengthens Tangela's role as a durable pivot, even with an offensive set. Usage Tips Tangela plays the role of a bulky special attacker on offensive teams thanks to its good mix of offensive and defensive stats. It can be switched in on physical attackers such as Carracosta and Rhydon, tank the attack, and then attack them or the switch-in and pivot out the next turn. Be wary when switching into special attackers, as Tangela's Special Defense is mediocre even with an Eviolite boost. Sleep Powder can to be used when checking troublesome physical attackers such as Kangaskhan and setup sweepers such as Mawile to prevent them from causing too much trouble, or on predicted opposing switch-ins. Leaf Storm has to be used carefully when the opponent is carrying a setup sweeper, as it drastically drops Tangela's Special Attack and makes it setup fodder for a lot of threats such as Lilligant and Musharna. Giga Drain should be spammed when Tangela has the opportunity, as it deals good damage against Pokemon that don't resist it and recovers Tangela's HP, bolstering Tangela's longevity along with Regenerator. Team Options Offensive Tangela fits better on bulky offensive and balanced teams as a bulky pivot because Tangela can both tank hits and hit back hard. Boosting sweepers such as Rhydon and Mawile can make use of Sleep Powder support and pivoting by Tangela to gain more opportunities to set up. Hariyama is a good partner thanks to Thick Fat, which makes it successfully check the Fire- and Ice-types that trouble Tangela, such as Pyroar and Cryogonal. Lanturn is a great partner for Tangela thanks to its typing synergy, as it is able to tank Fire- and Ice-type moves with ease. Ground-types such as Rhydon have great type synergy with Tangela, as they deal with Fire- and Poison-types for Tangela while Tangela handles physical Water-types such as Kabutops for them. Rock- and Fire-types such as Carracosta and Magmortar can also check Flying-, Fire-, Bug-, and Ice-types while while Tangela can take Ground- and Water-type moves for them.

Tangela's great physical bulk lets it take on a large number of physically oriented threats such as Kangaskhan and Torterra with ease. Giga Drain is easily Tangela's most important move and provides a strong, consistent STAB move and lets it regain lost health. Leech Seed is the primary option for the second slot and provides Tangela with a form of passive damage, which is especially important against bulkier foes. However, Synthesis is an option as it provides reliable recovery and lets Tangela check physical attackers more consistently while staying in. Sleep Powder lets Tangela incapacitate switch-ins that would otherwise force Tangela out, such as Mandibuzz and Braviary. Hidden Power Rock lets Tangela hit irritating Flying- and Fire-types such as Swellow, Braviary, and Charizard hard, but Stun Spore is a viable option as well and gives Tangela a secondary way to cripple opponents after Sleep Clause has been activated. The given EV spread maximizes Tangela's physical bulk while the Special Defense investment allows it to survive Life Orb Ludicolo's Ice Beam after Stealth Rock. More investment in Speed is viable to let Tangela outspeed Alomomola and Golurk, but the defensive investment is invaluable for it, making said Speed investment not worth it most of the time. Hidden Power Ice and Hidden Power Fire are viable options for a Hidden Power type, but Hidden Power Rock generally has better coverage overall. Knock Off lets Tangela be an annoyance to Pokemon that rely on their items to be effective (especially Eviolite users), but the given moves are usually more important. If dealing with Ludicolo isn't important for your team, a spread of 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD should be used. Partners that deal with Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary and Fire-types are appreciated, Regirock being a stellar example. Lickilicky is a great partner for Tangela as it can wall special threats that trouble Tangela, but keep in mind that this core is vulnerable to strong physically based Fire- and Flying-type attackers. Choice Band Golurk can deal with Fire-types and can do a number to the opponent's team with the paralysis support Tangela provides if it chooses to run Stun Spore. Water-types such as Samurott can deal with Fire-types such as Charizard, making them good partners as well.

While Tangela is primarily seen as a tank that relies on its Defense to wall various threats, an offensive set is just as viable due to Tangela's great Special Attack. This set lets Tangela hit opponents hard while still being able to deal with physical threats, albeit less effectively due to less investment in physical bulk. Leaf Storm is Tangela's main STAB move and works wonderfully with Regenerator as it will be switching out often. Sleep Powder lets Tangela incapacitate switch-ins and deters its checks and counters from coming in for free against it. Hidden Power Rock hits many important targets such as Braviary and Charizard that would otherwise give this set hell. Giga Drain is the primary option in the fourth slot as it provides a consistent STAB move that doesn't require Tangela to switch out and provides a somewhat reliable form of recovery. Synthesis is a more consistent form of recovery but is generally an inferior option as reliable recovery is not a concern for this set. The given EVs let Tangela hit as hard as possible and outspeed Alomomola and Golurk. Sludge Bomb is an option to hit Grass-types harder, but Roselia and Vileplume take only neutral damage from it. Hidden Power Ice and Hidden Power Fire are viable options to hit threats which Hidden Power Rock misses out on, such as Dragon- and Steel-types, respectively. While this set covers physical threats fairly well, Misdreavus provides another check to physical attackers and covers Fighting-types that can break through this set, making it a good partner. Psychic-types such as Gardevoir and Duosion as well as Ground-types such as Golurk can deal with Poison-types, making them great partners as well. Water- and Rock-types are good partners as they can deal with Fire-types.

Tangela is one of three Pokemon who have access to Endeavor, a sleep inducing move, and a way of patching up its poor Speed, the others being Smeargle and Tangrowth. Tangela's lower defenses and higher Speed make it a better Endeavor lead than Tangrowth, and Smeargle is not allowed in UU. The idea behind this set is to incapacitate the opposing lead with Sleep Powder, and then use Endeavor to weaken the switch-in. This is done by allowing the opposing lead to critically damage Tangela while it survives with its Focus Sash, then Sleep Powder is used to put them to sleep. As most opponents will switch out their lead, Tangela can use this turn to set up Sunny Day and double its Speed, and then follow up with a fast Endeavor to bring the switch-in to very low health. When faced with leads such as Omastar and Cloyster, it is usually better to just OHKO them with Leaf Storm before they can do anything. Leaf Storm is the recommended Grass-type move, and is used to deal massive amounts of damage to Ghost-types who are immune to Endeavor, although Energy Ball can be used for reliable, consistent damage. Solar Beam is also an option, although the ability to OHKO Omastar and Cloyster without having to set up the sun is usually more appealing. Fake Out leads such as Ambipom and Flame Orb Hariyama stop Tangela's strategy quite easily, as they can break its Focus Sash without Tangela being able to do anything. Ambipom can then KO Tangela with U-turn or Return, while Hariyama is immune to sleep thanks to its Flame Orb. Opposing sleep-inducing leads such as Venusaur and Jumpluff can also put Tangela to sleep before it can move. Leads who can Trick a Choice item onto Tangela, such as Mesprit and Uxie, will also mess it up. For these reasons, Choice Band Spiritomb is a fantastic teammate to Tangela, as it can switch into Fake Out from Ambipom and Trick from Mesprit and Uxie, and then Pursuit them as they flee; it also takes little damage from any of Hariyama's attacks. Choice Band Altaria and RestTalk Weezing also make excellent checks to Choice Scarf Venusaur or Jumpluff, as they can switch into Sleep Powder without too much trouble. Altaria can use Sleep Talk to pick a Choice Band boosted attack, while RestTalk Weezing does not mind being put to sleep at all. Since Ghost-types are immune to Endeavor, Pokemon who can take them on easily are good teammates. Mixed Houndoom can switch into virtually all Ghost-types in UU and Pursuit them as they flee, or use Crunch to KO them if they are brave enough to stay in. Defensive Drapion is a good counter to Nasty Plot and Calm Mind Mismagius who could potentially set up on Tangela. It is important to note that while Tangela is mostly using Sunny Day for itself, the weather still lasts for five turns, which is enough to be abused by yourself and your opponent alike. Houndoom and Flash Fire Arcanine are excellent teammates for this reason, as they are immune to Fire-type attacks, and receive boosted Fire-type attacks in the sun. Other Chlorophyll abusers can also take advantage of sunny weather; Shiftry, Exeggutor, Victreebel, and Tangrowth are all good examples.

This set is best brought out in the end-game, when most of the opponent's specially defensive Pokemon have been worn down and most users of Ice- and Fire-type attacks have been removed. Sleep Powder is what makes this set as dangerous as it is, completely invalidating a Pokemon late in the game and opening up an opportunity for Tangela to set up Sunny Day. From there, Solar Beam will hit like a wrecking ball, with Hidden Power Fire complementing it almost perfectly. It should be mentioned that Morning Sun is a viable option in the second moveslot to make the most of Tangela's bulk and sustain its sweep, especially if you already have a sleep inducer elsewhere on your team. There are many different viable EV spreads to consider when using Tangela. Maximum Speed with a Timid nature is recommended, as the base 50 and base 60 Speed tiers are heavily contested, and winning the Speed tie outside of sun could be game-changing. With maximum Speed and a Modest nature, Tangela will outrun Timid Bellossom by one point, allowing Tangela to keep its power level while giving it the possibility to beat Bellossom one-on-one if the latter is partially damaged beforehand. However, with a Modest nature, Tangela is left outsped by Jolly Pupitar by two points and will be outsped by other dangerous neutral-nature base 65 Speed Pokemon like Flareon and Chimecho. Therefore, Timid is the preferred nature, giving Tangela the ability to outspeed these threats as well as Pokemon with base 70 Speed and a neutral nature like Castform, along with giving Tangela the best possible chance of beating other Tangela under the sun. A bulkier spread is also efficient and pairs best with Morning Sun. Just 24 Speed EVs are needed with a Modest nature to outpace the entire unboosted tier under the sun; the remaining EVs should be put into HP to give Tangela some bulk to ease setup. It's important to keep in mind, though, that Tangela will have almost no chance of beating Flareon regardless of EV spread outside of crippling it with Sleep Powder, and Tangela can only hope to beat Bellossom that have taken upwards of 25% damage; Tangela will otherwise fail to KO with Hidden Power Fire under the sun and Bellossom will always have a guaranteed OHKO back. There's very little that can stand in Tangela's path once the sun is up, but there are a few immediate threats that must be taken care of before successfully sweeping with Tangela, most notably including Flareon and Torkoal. Both avoid even a 4HKO from Tangela's attacks and easily OHKO in return with Flamethrower, meaning even if they are hit by Sleep Powder at full health, Tangela has almost no chance of KOing them before they wake up. These two make Diglett a very valuable teammate to employ to ensure they are removed before attempting to sweep with Tangela, but Diglett can be pretty hard to use. Other choices include Rock-types like Sudowoodo, Water-types like Dewgong, and other Pokemon to lure them in and cripple them with Toxic. Specially defensive Swalot completely walls this set, it too avoiding a 4HKO from any of Tangela's moves and easily KOing back with either Sludge Bomb or Ice Beam. Diglett again comes in handy here for taking it out, while other Ground-types like Graveler or a Psychic-type like Chimecho can be used to try to knock it out before bringing out Tangela. Finally, specially defensive Kecleon and Lickitung are only 3HKOed by Tangela's attacks, making a physically inclined partner like Hitmonchan a valuable teammate to take them out ahead of time. Spikes support will ensure that Tangela will come out on top against a myriad of other Pokemon in the tier, including Hitmonchan, Bellossom, and Venomoth, ensuring an OHKO on the latter after a layer of Spikes and getting super close after two layers on the former two. Other Pokemon that need to be weakened before bringing out Tangela include Haunter, Chimecho, Murkrow, and Pidgeot, all of which can tank any one of Tangela's moves and all of which but Pidgeot can OHKO back after a layer of Spikes.

65/115 physical bulk is amazing on a Pokemon that resists Earthquake in the NU tier, and Tangela puts that bulk to use with this set. Between Giga Drain and Leech Seed, Tangela will usually be getting enough health back to not warrant the use of Morning Sun, but the instant recovery is useful in certain situations. Double status is a good strategy to use with Tangela in order to cripple as much of the opponent's team as possible. Stun Spore is best used if your team needs Tangela to be able to cripple offensive Pokemon like Arbok, Vigoroth, and Murkrow. Toxic is better on teams with multiple RestTalk or Protect users to stall for Toxic damage and better allow Tangela to help the team come out on top against stall cores of Sableye, Flareon, and Dewgong. Giga Drain is the recommended STAB move thanks to its passive healing; however, its PP is really low, meaning Hidden Power Grass is a good alternative that has a bonus of being slightly stronger. Leech Seed is the main option in the last slot to increase Tangela's overall longevity and spread more residual damage around the opposite team. Toxic can be used here as well, which makes Tangela much less susceptible to Grass-types save for Roselia. There's not much point to running Special Defense EVs, as Bellossom just does a specially defensive set a million times better. Some Speed can be run to allow Tangela to hit some other defensive Pokemon with Sleep Powder before they can status Tangela in return, though Tangela typically wants maximum Defense to tank attacks from the likes of Hitmonchan better. Hidden Power Fire can be used in the last slot with Giga Drain to ward off Grass-, Bug-, and Steel-types looking for an easy switch into Tangela. Tangela also has access to Reflect, which can make it nigh impregnable physically and possibly allow Tangela to turn the tides against a Flying-type switch-in such as Murkrow. Hidden Power Ice is a good offensive option if going this route to turn Tangela into a lure to open a sweep for something weak to Flying-types such as Hitmonchan. Finally, Protect is a decent option to include somewhere on this set to allow Tangela to scout the opponent's attacks, rack up passive damage, and stall for more Leftovers and Leech Seed recovery. Swalot completely mangles this set thanks to its huge Special Defense, resistance to Grass, and ability in Liquid Ooze, which turns Leech Seed into a hindrance for Tangela and its teammates. This makes Ground-types like Piloswine good teammates to have to switch into Swalot and other Poison-types to threaten them out with a STAB Earthquake. Chimecho is also a good teammate to have for this reason, and it also helps immensely with combating opposing Roselia, which can otherwise switch into this set without fear and shrug off any status with Natural Cure. In general, defensive Tangela should be used as part of a defensive core and thus needs a specially defensive teammate to work effectively for the team. Kecleon, Flareon, and Dewgong make great teammates to accomplish this and pair well with Tangela typing-wise. Dewgong is particularly effective for taking on Fire-types and can tank attacks from the common Flying-types as well if need be. Having Spikes support will increase the effectiveness of the passive damage Tangela will spread around the opposing team with Toxic and Leech Seed, and all of its moves tend to cause switches, which will rack up damage. Finally, because Tangela almost completely walls most Ground- and Rock-types, having a late-game sweeper that can take advantage of their absence is best to have along, with examples including Plusle, Pidgeot, and Raticate.

Double Powder is a good thing to have, so status away. Giga Drain combined with Tangela's decent Special Attack makes it a good Rhydon, Golem, and Marowak counter. Reflect can help the team, or Synthesis keeps Tangela in the game longer.