What is a good moveset for Grapploct?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Grapploct, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Grapploct Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Grapploct@Life Orb
ABILITY: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Def/4 HP
NATURE: Brave (+Atk -Spd) if you're going with Payback/Adamant (+Atk -SpAtk) if you're going with Sucker Punch

Payback (deals double damage if you take damage first)/Sucker Punch Both deal with Psychic types.
Brick Break (your reliable STAB)
Ice Punch (works against Flying types)
Liquidation/Stomping Tantrum (coverage)

Honestly? I think Grapploct should have better stats than this. Its Attack is slightly underwhelming, and I did not expect its Defense to be relatively high. Also, its two abilities, Limber and Technician, don't really give you that much to work with. It also has WAY too many Fighting moves. Also, no coverage for Fairy types. So this is the best moveset available.

Comments

Why not drain punch instead of brick break for healing and give Grapploct technician to make better use of payback

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Payback gets raised to 100 BP which doesn't use Technician. Brick Break breaks screens, but yeah, Drain Punch could be used over Brick Break. Close Combat could also replace Brick Break too

Answer 2

Gen 8 ZU

Grapploct @ Choice Band
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Close Combat
- Liquidation
- Sucker Punch
- Ice Punch

For use in Trick Room. Close Combat is strong STAB. Liquidation is for coverage. Sucker Punch deals with psychic and ghost types, and is usable outside of Trick Room. Ice Punch deals with flying types.

Answer 3

Grapploct @ Leftovers
Role: Bulky Sweeper
Ability: Technician / Limber
Evs: 120 Def, 132 SpD, 252 Atk, 4 Hp
Adamant Nature
Moveset:
Octolock
Power-Up Punch / Bulk Up
Liquidation
Drain Punch

Use Limber if you are using Bulk Up over Power-Up Punch, otherwise, use Technician. The Evs are to ensure survival for a few turns to boost your stats, and Octolock is to lower the opponents stats. Liquidation is coverage, and Drain Punch is healing + STAB. Adamant Nature is to give him a maxed out attack stat., 368 at Lvl 100. The Evs give him a fairly decent 229 SpD, and 252 Def.

Answer 4

Grapploct @ Leftovers
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 HP, 4 Def, 252 SpDef
Nature: Careful
- Drain Punch
- Sucker Punch
- Ice Punch/Stomping Tantrum
- Bulk Up

Stomping Tantrum can have some interesting synergy with Sucker Punch should it fail, but other than that there's nothing to explain really.

Answer 5

Grapploct@Leftovers
Trait: Limber
Nature: Adamant (+Attack, - Sp. Attack)
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Attack, 4 HP
Role: Physical Sweeper/Wall Breaker

Moves:

• Close Combat
• Liquidation
• Taunt
• Octolock

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I made this moveset to help against walls. First, use Octolock, to keep the WALL in battle, then use Taunt, so it can't use any of it's support moves, which in some cases is all. Then finish them off with Liquidation and/or Close Combat.

If you want to use this against a Sweeper, then just spam Waterfall and/or Close Combat or just switch out.

Answer 6

I absolutely LOVE this Pokemon, my favorite galar Pokemon by far, and this is my set:

Ability: Technician
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 HP, 4 Def/4 Spe

Moves:
Mudshot / Brutal Swing (Mudshot will do 82, and Brutal Swing will do 90, so its your choice for coverage)

Octolock / Bulk Up / Topsy Turvy (Your choice, really depends on preference)

Liquidation (Physical Move with good base power)

Drain Punch / Close Combat (for healing, or if you are using topsy turvy you can turn the defense and special defense into a positive stat change, I believe. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

Comments

Technician only boosts moves with less than or equal to 60 Base Power.  That means Payback that is unboosted has a BP of 75 while boosted will only have 100 still because it isn't below that 60 BP.

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Oh, i see. sorry about that as i thought that it would give it 150 base power, probably good they didn't make it do that though lol. Unless the technician boosts it first and then the payback boost after?

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https://pokemondb.net/pokebase/162431/pokemon-with-technician-last-used-payback-would-have-power
Nope.

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Ok, thank you for correcting me

Answer 7

This is a Grapploct set I've had success using in Y - Comm, VS, and Pokemon Showdown:

Grapploct (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Technician
EVs: 240 HP / 244 Def / 24 SpD
Impish Nature
- Power-Up Punch
- Drain Punch
- Payback
- Ice Punch

This is a bulky sweeper set. This is the explanation of all it's moves:

Power up punch gets stab + technician boost. It's also how Grapploct boosts it's attack.

Drain Punch is for reliable recovery.

Ice punch is to hit fairies and flying types.

And Payback for psychic and ghost types. Payback gets the technician boost and it's power doubles when the user moves last, which Grapploct will usually do because it's so slow.

I hope this helps!