What is a good moveset for Arctovish?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Arctovish, 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.

Arctovish Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Arctovish @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Ice Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Icicle Crash
- Psychic Fangs
- Crunch

It's worse Dracovish. Choice Scarf takes advantage of Fishious Rend, Icicle Crash is STAB, and the rest of the moves are coverage.

Comments

If you don't have a hail setter on your team wouldn't water absorb be a better ability?

Answer 2

I think.... What most of us are forgetting... Is Arctovosh’s perfect 55 base speed!
Arctovish @ Lagging Tail
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 96 Def / 60 SpD
Brave Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Psychic Fangs
- Crunch
- Icicle Crash
The point of its base 55 speed + lagging tail is so that during trick room, it can out speed Hatterene. Hatterene has base 29 whilst lagging tail + 55 = 27.5, slower than the Hatterene, making it a perfect mon in Trick Room, not to mention it out speeding Rhyperior and Tyranitar in Trick a room, only falling behind Dusclops by a mere 2.5 BP.
From here, using the same concept as Dracovish, it can dish out 170 BP Fishious Rend + STAB. (If it’s in the rain, it would be even better!)

252+ Atk Arctovish Fishious Rend (170 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Cinderace: 314-372 (202.5 - 240%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ Atk Arctovish Fishious Rend (170 BP) vs. 176 HP / 4 Def Solid Rock Rhyperior: 300-354 (141.5 - 166.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Dynamax Rhyperior:
252+ Atk Arctovish Fishious Rend (170 BP) vs. 176 HP / 4 Def Solid Rock Dynamax Rhyperior in Rain: 450-531 (106.1 - 125.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Arctovish Fishious Rend (170 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dynamax Tyranitar in Rain: 344-408 (98.2 - 116.5%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

Though I have to admit that Dracovish is a MUCH better Fishious Rend spammer, Arctovish shouldn’t be sleeped on in a rain + trick room team. Combining it with its ability water absorb + Surf, it becomes a deadly threat to a lot of teams.

In conclusion, good mon for trick room. However, not the best in general but still shouldn’t be sleeped on.

Comments

I thought Lagging Tail forced last move even in Trick Room?

---

You are right on that.  I believe that they meant an Iron Ball which halves the Holder's Speed.

Answer 3

Gen 8 OU Hail build

Arctovish @ Choice Band
Ability: Slush Rush
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Icicle Crash
- Rock Blast
- Freeze-Dry

When you have Hail up this thing is like a scarfed Dracovish, but even better. Fishious Rend hits as hard as Draco, but he's even faster, so he can even outspeed Zeraora and OHKO it. Freeze-Dry hits Toxa, Urshifu, Pelipper, Mantine, Quagsire, Gastrodon etc. I swept countless opponents with this set

Answer 4

This is a set I've found works well in the Battle Tower, mostly doubles. I haven't used it in Online Battles yet.

Arctovish @ Focus Sash
Ability: Ice Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Avalanche / Icicle Crash
- Liquidation / Fishious Rend
- Iron Head
- Psychic Fangs

This Arctovish can usually take two or three super-effective hits before going down, so it can get a boost on Avalanche at least that many times. I would give it a Focus Sash in case it runs into any particularly strong special attackers equipped with its weaknesses though, so it can still get one Avalanche in.

Liquidation could be swapped for Fishious Rend if you wanted to run a Jolly, Slush Rush Arctovish that might have a chance of out-speeding some slower Pokémon. I find Liquidation is a reliable physical move for sluggish little Arctovish though, and it has a chance to lower the opposing Pokémon's defense.

Psychic Fangs and Iron Head are coverage, with Iron Head being a good way to deal with opposing ice types too.

If Arctovish is paired with a speedier partner Pokémon that can dispatch threats against it - and maybe even set up Hail for it - I imagine the Focus Sash could just be replaced with Leftovers so it has extra recovery with Hail.

Comments

Once it gets released, this set could work really well with Slush Rush.

---

No Fishous Rend?

---

@CoolMan6001, Liquidation and Fishious Rend have the same base power. I mentioned Fishious Rend in the commentary, but Arctovish is pretty slow without Slush Rush. Might as well go for Liquidation's defense drop, in that case.

---

Split those EVs and choose one to give 4 extra to, you're only hurting yourself (albeit by one point) the current way it is.

---

@[MEGA]StellarLucario - Oh yeah, you're probably right. I'm sure it could probably benefit from the 4 invested in HP to be allocated to something like its SpD, if that's what you mean. I'll go ahead and edit that.

---

...No. 126/130 is wasting an extra 4 EVs, even if it's only one point. 124 gets you an even boost, 126 gets you nothing more. It's better that you just split those evenly at 128, or if you wanted the HP boost, you could go for 124 and 128, depending on what defense you want.

Answer 5

How about special Arctovish?

Arctovish @ Leftovers
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 252 SpA / 126 Def / 126 SpD or 252 HP / 4 Def
Modest Nature
- Super Fang
- Brine
- Ice Beam / Blizzard
- Freeze-Dry / Ancient Power / Hail

Run Ice Body if Hail or Slush Rush when it is out. This combo makes special Arctovish still usable.

Answer 6

Defensive Arctovish, meant to be used during Hail and preferably doubles.

Arctovish @ Leftovers / Light Clay
Ability: Ice Body
Calm Nature
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
- Aurora Veil
- Icy Wind
- Protect
- Surf / Iron Defense

Ice Body is basically Leftovers if you go with Light Clay, and provides more healing even if you use Leftovers. You can set up Aurora Veil in Hail to halve damage from all attacks. Icy Wind is speed control and hits both opponents in a double battle. Protect is Protect. Surf is STAB, or you can have a little bit more Defense with Iron Defense.

Answer 7

Gen 8 NU

Arctovish @ Life Orb
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Lonely / Hasty Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Icicle Crash
- Freeze Dry
- Psychic Fangs

To be used on Hail Teams. Fisheous Rend is STAB and can get double power when you outspeed your opponent. Icicle Crash is also STAB. Freeze Dry is to deal with predicted Mantine and Gastrodon switch-ins. Psychic Fangs is for coverage.