Tentacruel Custom Formats Spark Community TCG Creativity

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Tentacruel holo card art from Primal Clash (XY5)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Custom formats spark community creativity around Tentacruel

In the world of Pokémon TCG, certain cards become not just playing pieces but catalysts for community-driven formats and homebrew rules. Tentacruel from the Primal Clash set (XY5) stands out as a perfect example. This Stage 1 Psychic-type subtends a curious slice of mechanics that invites players to experiment with disruption, healing, and tempo in formats that push beyond standard rules. Illustrated by match, this holo rarity carries both a striking look and a versatile toolkit—a combination that fuels fan-made formats, tournament side events, and casual challenges alike. ⚡🔥

Card profile at a glance

  • Name: Tentacruel
  • Set: Primal Clash (XY5)
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Stage: Stage 1 (evolves from Tentacool)
  • HP: 100
  • Type: Psychic
  • Attacks:
    • Dancing Tentacles — Cost: Colorless. Your opponent's Active Pokémon is now Confused and Poisoned.
    • Stick and Absorb — Cost: Psychic, Colorless. Heal 30 damage from this Pokémon. The Defending Pokémon can't retreat during your opponent's next turn.
  • Weakness: Psychic ×2
  • Retreat: 3
  • Illustrator: match
  • Legal (format): Expanded (Standard format not legal for this print)
  • Variant notes: holo, normal, and reverse variants exist within the Primal Clash print run

From a collector’s standpoint, Tentacruel’s holo treatment in this XY5 release adds a gleam that stands out on any player desk or display shelf. The card’s evolution from Tentacool is a classic reminder of how even mid-line evolutions can anchor innovative deck-building ideas—especially when the moves offer both control and sustain. The art by match complements the playstyle with a watery, electric aura that screams “playful yet precise” in any format you design. 🎨🎴

How Tentacruel shines in custom formats

Custom formats thrive on flexibility, and Tentacruel delivers a tactile control element without locking you into a single strategy. The combination of Dancing Tentacles and Stick and Absorb creates a dual tempo: disrupt your opponent's board state while inching Tentacruel toward a durable mid-to-late game presence. In a format that rewards clever healing and stall mechanics, Tentacruel’s 100 HP gives it a respectable stay-in-play profile, especially when paired with other support to mitigate its retreat cost of 3.

  • Disruption with staying power: Dancing Tentacles forces Confusion and Poison on the opponent’s active, buying you turns to set up your next moves or to bait out removal. In formats that favor long, grindy games, that single attack can swing tempo decisively.
  • Stalling with purpose: Stick and Absorb not only heals 30 damage but also locks in a crucial turn—your opponent cannot retreat on their next turn. This creates opportunities to press for damage spikes or to retreat into a secondary attacker designed to finish the job.
  • Ambidextrous resources: The Psychic-Colorless cost for Stick and Absorb allows you to blend with other Psychic or Colorless-leaning strategies, enabling odd-couplings that surprise traditional counters in fan formats.
  • Risk and reward with weaknesses: A Psychic-type perspective means you’ll want to shield Tentacruel against heavy Psychic matches, but the Expanded legality gives you access to a broader toolbox—relics, stadiums, and other formats that elevate this type’s synergy gaps.
“Tentacruel isn’t flashy, but in a well-curated custom format it’s the quiet boss—the card that grinds you down before you realize it.” — imaginary meta devs, playful spirits of the community

Collector insights and market snapshot

As a Rare holo from the Primal Clash era, Tentacruel xy5-72 sits in an interesting niche for collectors and casual players alike. Its pricing data across different markets reflects a modest but real value proposition for fans who chase authentic holo foils or complete XY-era collections. Cardmarket shows an average around EUR 0.71 for the standard market with a low watermark near EUR 0.10 and a rising trend signal around 0.64. On the U.S. side, TCGPlayer reports a dynamic spectrum for the non-holo and reverse-holo variants: low prices around USD 0.16, mid values near USD 0.47, and highs climbing toward USD 1.49 for the high end or holo-variant market activity. The “market price” sits near USD 0.51 with occasional direct low access at USD 0.69, reflecting a niche but steady interest among modern players who want a budget-friendly control option wrapped in a vintage print. For holo enthusiasts, reverse holofoil values show low around USD 0.37 and peaking near USD 2.03, signaling a collector pull for shiny finishes in good condition. 💎🔥

For players, the practical takeaway is to balance the price-to-performance ratio when deciding whether to add Tentacruel to a custom format deck. The card’s flexibility—stalling, healing, and disruption—makes it appealing for formats that reward multi-step plays and resilient mid-game boards. It’s not the front-line attacker that steals the spotlight, but it does empower you to control the pace and shape the late-game landscape with deliberate, well-timed plays.

As a piece of the broader Primal Clash era, Tentacruel is also a nostalgic touchstone for fans who remember the XY era’s design language and the way it encouraged hybrid decks that mixed disruption with evolving board states. The combination of a vivid holo aesthetic, a dependable HP pool, and two distinct attacks lets modern players craft formats that balance old-school flavor with new-school creativity. 🎮🎴

Phone Case with Card Holder

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