Hydrapple
/
HP: 106
Atk: 80
Def: 110
SpA: 120
SpD: 80
Spe: 44
Abilities: Supersweet Syrup / Regenerator / Sticky Hold
Pros:
1: Incredibly Resilient
106/110/80 bulk is not just good, but genuinely great. On the physical side especially Hydrapple is highly resilient, which matters tremendously into Pokemon like Kingambit, Great Tusk, Rillaboom, and Ogerpon-Wellspring which are very hard for teams to deal with. Additionally, its access to one of the best abilities in the game--Regenerator--lets it take repeated blows and shrug them off simply by switching out, and it also has access to Recover to augment its longevity.
2: Regenerator
Regenerator goes heavily into #1, but Regenerator is so absurdly good that it deserves its own bullet due to how much it can enable Hydrapple to do with its bulk.
3: Great Offensive Profile
Hydrapple is fitted with a great 120 base SpAtk and awesome coverage to round off its STAB combination, boasting options like Earth Power and Hydro Pump which are really most of what it could ask for. However what really brings it together for Hydrapple is its newfound access to Nasty Plot, an amazing boosting option that bodes well with its great bulk and leverages the inconsistency of its signature move, Fickle Beam. In terms of STAB options, it has the cream of the crop. Draco Meteor is tried and true, and the aforementioned Fickle Beam is, at worst, slightly weaker than Dragon Pulse, and at best, a monstrous 160 BP. Its Grass-type STAB is similarly great, boasting both Leaf Storm and Giga Drain to wallbreak and further sustain itself respectively.
4: Serviceable Utility
Unlike its pre-evolved form Dipplin, Hydrapple has access to a status-inducing option in Yawn, which pairs well with its bulk and access to Regenerator. It also sorta makes better use of Syrup Bomb thanks to its better offensive profile; though, it can also commit to something more utility-focused with its additional access to Infestation, Dragon Breath, and Dragon Tail, all of which are usable on Assault Vest and Tank sets.
Cons
1: Middling Typing
Grass/Dragon has its merits, giving Hydrapple the ability to check Rillaboom and Ogerpon-Wellspring, but it also comes with many exploitable weaknesses that undercut its excellent bulk. This includes a x4 weakness to Ice-type moves, Fairy-type moves, a U-turn weakness, and a rather unfortunate weakness to Dragon-type moves, with not too many relevant resistances to compensate for them barring Water- and Ground-type moves. Because Grass comes fitted with its share of major weaknesses, and Dragon's defensive advantages are mitigated by the Grass-type, Hydrapple is best treated as a Grass-type in terms of its defensive applications.
2: Low Speed
This one is obvious and unfortunately will come to play. Being slower than threats like Kingambit stings really hard, and makes it even more reliant on its bulk to do its job. In tandem with its exploitable weaknesses this can be problematic for getting consistent value from it into some offensive structures, meaning that it is likely to need a bit of dedicated support to get the most of.
__
Terastallization Potential
Because of its exploitable type combination, great bulk, and access to Regenerator and boosting, it is an excellent Tera candidate that can make use of it both defensively and offensively.
- Poison is a great Tera type for bulky setup sweepers thanks to its obscene resistances and Toxic immunity. Furthermore, it pairs phenomenally with Regenerator, letting Hydrapple use the Tera type to continuously check Pokemon like Iron Valiant throughout the game. A bulky Nasty Plot set is likely to make the best use of it.
- Fairy is a hard type to go wrong with, and thanks to its initial Dragon-type weakness, it appreciates the matchup flip thanks to its own Dragon-type coverage and general appreciation of Fairy's great defensive aspects. This is a type that is likely to go great with any set, especially with Regenerator to let it take consistent advantage.
- Fire is a great Tera type for bulky setup sweepers with an initial weakness into Iron Valiant, and it bodes well with the fact that Hydrapple is likely to want Heavy-Duty Boots anyway to make the most of its great bulk + Regenerator.
- Water is solid for similar reasons as Fairy thanks to its all-around great defensive profile, but comes with the benefit of giving Hydro Pump a STAB boost as opposed to flipping the script against Dragon-type Pokemon. Probably good but I don't think as good as Fairy.
- In terms of a same-type Tera, Grass is your best bet as it lets Hydrapple drop the problematic Dragon- and Fairy-type weaknesses that impede its gameplan and juice up the power of Giga Drain and Leaf Storm.
Sets
Closing Thoughts
While I'm unsure whether or not Hydrapple is going to stick around in OU, I believe it has the makings for a genuinely good Pokemon somewhere, with a potential OU niche by merit of its raw bulk and Regenerator just being so powerful, and it having the tools to be threatening by itself. I do think the Speed and typing are a bit too middling to be consistently worth it compared to other Dragon-type options, but it undeniably is a really unique Pokemon that brings some powerful things to the table worth considering for bulkier offense and balance archetypes.
HP: 106
Atk: 80
Def: 110
SpA: 120
SpD: 80
Spe: 44
Abilities: Supersweet Syrup / Regenerator / Sticky Hold
Pros:
1: Incredibly Resilient
106/110/80 bulk is not just good, but genuinely great. On the physical side especially Hydrapple is highly resilient, which matters tremendously into Pokemon like Kingambit, Great Tusk, Rillaboom, and Ogerpon-Wellspring which are very hard for teams to deal with. Additionally, its access to one of the best abilities in the game--Regenerator--lets it take repeated blows and shrug them off simply by switching out, and it also has access to Recover to augment its longevity.
2: Regenerator
Regenerator goes heavily into #1, but Regenerator is so absurdly good that it deserves its own bullet due to how much it can enable Hydrapple to do with its bulk.
3: Great Offensive Profile
Hydrapple is fitted with a great 120 base SpAtk and awesome coverage to round off its STAB combination, boasting options like Earth Power and Hydro Pump which are really most of what it could ask for. However what really brings it together for Hydrapple is its newfound access to Nasty Plot, an amazing boosting option that bodes well with its great bulk and leverages the inconsistency of its signature move, Fickle Beam. In terms of STAB options, it has the cream of the crop. Draco Meteor is tried and true, and the aforementioned Fickle Beam is, at worst, slightly weaker than Dragon Pulse, and at best, a monstrous 160 BP. Its Grass-type STAB is similarly great, boasting both Leaf Storm and Giga Drain to wallbreak and further sustain itself respectively.
4: Serviceable Utility
Unlike its pre-evolved form Dipplin, Hydrapple has access to a status-inducing option in Yawn, which pairs well with its bulk and access to Regenerator. It also sorta makes better use of Syrup Bomb thanks to its better offensive profile; though, it can also commit to something more utility-focused with its additional access to Infestation, Dragon Breath, and Dragon Tail, all of which are usable on Assault Vest and Tank sets.
Cons
1: Middling Typing
Grass/Dragon has its merits, giving Hydrapple the ability to check Rillaboom and Ogerpon-Wellspring, but it also comes with many exploitable weaknesses that undercut its excellent bulk. This includes a x4 weakness to Ice-type moves, Fairy-type moves, a U-turn weakness, and a rather unfortunate weakness to Dragon-type moves, with not too many relevant resistances to compensate for them barring Water- and Ground-type moves. Because Grass comes fitted with its share of major weaknesses, and Dragon's defensive advantages are mitigated by the Grass-type, Hydrapple is best treated as a Grass-type in terms of its defensive applications.
2: Low Speed
This one is obvious and unfortunately will come to play. Being slower than threats like Kingambit stings really hard, and makes it even more reliant on its bulk to do its job. In tandem with its exploitable weaknesses this can be problematic for getting consistent value from it into some offensive structures, meaning that it is likely to need a bit of dedicated support to get the most of.
__
Terastallization Potential
Because of its exploitable type combination, great bulk, and access to Regenerator and boosting, it is an excellent Tera candidate that can make use of it both defensively and offensively.
Sets
Hydrapple @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy / Fire / Grass
EVs: 84 HP / 252 SpA / 172 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Giga Drain
- Draco Meteor / Fickle Beam
- Earth Power / Tera Blast
This set focuses primarily on combining Hydrapple's natural compatability with AV with its great offensive profile. Fairly self explanatory for the most part; imo, the main deviations are going to come in the form of choosing between Draco Meteor and Fickle Beam, which both have their benefits. Draco Meteor gives a consistent nuke, whereas Fickle Beam is generally middling in power but has the potential to become lethal. Unlike most Pokemon, this choice is feasible because Hydrapple can afford to fish for this extra power thanks to its great bulk and Regenerator. As for the last slot, it's a choice between Earth Power for a consistent Steel-type nuke and Tera Fire Tera Blast to snipe Corviknight. Personally I favor Earth Power as it alleviates the need to Tera if you want to deal with Steel-types in general, and Corviknight is a doable Pokemon to deal with.
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy / Fire / Grass
EVs: 84 HP / 252 SpA / 172 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Giga Drain
- Draco Meteor / Fickle Beam
- Earth Power / Tera Blast
This set focuses primarily on combining Hydrapple's natural compatability with AV with its great offensive profile. Fairly self explanatory for the most part; imo, the main deviations are going to come in the form of choosing between Draco Meteor and Fickle Beam, which both have their benefits. Draco Meteor gives a consistent nuke, whereas Fickle Beam is generally middling in power but has the potential to become lethal. Unlike most Pokemon, this choice is feasible because Hydrapple can afford to fish for this extra power thanks to its great bulk and Regenerator. As for the last slot, it's a choice between Earth Power for a consistent Steel-type nuke and Tera Fire Tera Blast to snipe Corviknight. Personally I favor Earth Power as it alleviates the need to Tera if you want to deal with Steel-types in general, and Corviknight is a doable Pokemon to deal with.
Hydrapple @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Poison / Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe or 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
Bold / Relaxed Nature
- Body Press / Dragon Tail
- Giga Drain
- Earth Power / Recover
- Yawn / Recover
This set takes advantage of Hydrapple's excellent bulk to be a dedicated tank. This set utilizes HDB as opposed to an AV, enabling the use of options like Recover and Yawn. Because of it siphoning offensive investment for bulk, it makes sense to opt for some utility moves like Dragon Tail as well, allowing it to bode potently on hazard stacking structures to accrue damage and sponge hits for its offensive teammates. I believe AV could be an option for this role too but I feel if you're wanting to play into Hydrapple's more defensive side that it's wiser to just use HDB since hazard stacking is so prevalent.
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Poison / Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe or 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
Bold / Relaxed Nature
- Body Press / Dragon Tail
- Giga Drain
- Earth Power / Recover
- Yawn / Recover
This set takes advantage of Hydrapple's excellent bulk to be a dedicated tank. This set utilizes HDB as opposed to an AV, enabling the use of options like Recover and Yawn. Because of it siphoning offensive investment for bulk, it makes sense to opt for some utility moves like Dragon Tail as well, allowing it to bode potently on hazard stacking structures to accrue damage and sponge hits for its offensive teammates. I believe AV could be an option for this role too but I feel if you're wanting to play into Hydrapple's more defensive side that it's wiser to just use HDB since hazard stacking is so prevalent.
Hydrapple @ Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Poison / Fairy / Water
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Fickle Beam
- Earth Power / Hydro Pump
- Recover
This set opts to leverage Hydrapple's bulk and access to Nasty Plot to play into a more dedicated win condition. I like the idea of Tera Water Hydro Pump here more than other sets because you only get two moves to work with, and Dragon- + Water-type coverage is independently the best pair for neutral damage. Leftovers imo is preferable to HDB since you're likely to be staying in the most amount of consecutive turns, but HDB is fine too.
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Poison / Fairy / Water
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Fickle Beam
- Earth Power / Hydro Pump
- Recover
This set opts to leverage Hydrapple's bulk and access to Nasty Plot to play into a more dedicated win condition. I like the idea of Tera Water Hydro Pump here more than other sets because you only get two moves to work with, and Dragon- + Water-type coverage is independently the best pair for neutral damage. Leftovers imo is preferable to HDB since you're likely to be staying in the most amount of consecutive turns, but HDB is fine too.
Hydrapple @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Poison / Fire / Water
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Giga Drain
- Fickle Beam
- Earth Power / Tera Blast / Hydro Pump
This set is dedicated to just taking lives. Thanks to Regenerator and Giga Drain, it can afford to break holes consistently throughout the game while also keeping itself consistently healthy. Since this set is dedicated to coming in and out, I believe Heavy-Duty Boots is optimal; Life Orb is just overkill imo.
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Poison / Fire / Water
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Giga Drain
- Fickle Beam
- Earth Power / Tera Blast / Hydro Pump
This set is dedicated to just taking lives. Thanks to Regenerator and Giga Drain, it can afford to break holes consistently throughout the game while also keeping itself consistently healthy. Since this set is dedicated to coming in and out, I believe Heavy-Duty Boots is optimal; Life Orb is just overkill imo.
Hydrapple @ Choice Specs
Ability: Regenerator / Sticky Hold
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 64 HP / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor / Fickle Beam
- Leaf Storm
- Giga Drain
- Earth Power
Fuck it, we ball. Sticky Hold is an option if you want to deny weak utility-based Knock Off specifically.
Ability: Regenerator / Sticky Hold
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 64 HP / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor / Fickle Beam
- Leaf Storm
- Giga Drain
- Earth Power
Fuck it, we ball. Sticky Hold is an option if you want to deny weak utility-based Knock Off specifically.
Closing Thoughts
While I'm unsure whether or not Hydrapple is going to stick around in OU, I believe it has the makings for a genuinely good Pokemon somewhere, with a potential OU niche by merit of its raw bulk and Regenerator just being so powerful, and it having the tools to be threatening by itself. I do think the Speed and typing are a bit too middling to be consistently worth it compared to other Dragon-type options, but it undeniably is a really unique Pokemon that brings some powerful things to the table worth considering for bulkier offense and balance archetypes.
