Noctowl


Noctowl, the John Lennon Pokemon.

Ah, Noctowl. The kind of nebbish, not fitting "starter bird". With low attacking stats but HP, Noctowl has never fit in with it's brethern. But Black and White has wrought forth interesting changes. Perhaps Noctowl can step out of the tunnel(and into the liiiiiiiiight!)

Code:
[B]#164 Noctowl[/B]
Typing: Normal / Flying
Ability 1: 
   Insomnia
    Cannot be put to sleep.
Ability 2: 
   Keen Eye
    Accuraccy cannot be lowered.
Ability 3: (Dream World)
   Tinted Lens
    When this Pokémon uses a move that is not very effective on its target, the damage is doubled.

HP:  100
Atk: 50
Def: 50
SpA: 76
SpD: 96
Spe: 70

[B]Level-Up Moves:[/B]
Lv1: Sky Attack
Lv1: Tackle
Lv1: Growl
Lv1: Foresight
Lv1: Hypnosis
Lv5: Hypnosis
Lv9: Peck
Lv13: Uproar
Lv17: Reflect
Lv22: Confusion
Lv27: Echo Voice
Lv32: Take Down
Lv37: Air Slash
Lv42: Zen Headbutt
Lv47: Synchronize
Lv52: Extrasensory
Lv57: Psycho Shift
Lv62: Roost
Lv67: Dream Eater

[B]TM Moves:[/B]
TM06 - Toxic
TM10 - Hidden Power
TM11 - Sunny Day
TM15 - Hyper Beam
TM17 - Protect
TM18 - Rain Dance
TM21 - Frustration
TM27 - Return
TM29 - Psychic
TM30 - Shadow Ball
TM32 - Double Team
TM33 - Reflect
TM40 - Aerial Ace
TM42 - Facade
TM44 - Rest
TM45 - Attract
TM46 - Thief
TM48 - Troll
TM49 - Echo Voice
TM68 - Giga Impact
TM77 - Psych Up
TM83 - Cheer Up
TM85 - Dream Eater
TM87 - Swagger
TM88 - Pluck
TM90 - Substitute
HM02 - Fly

[b]Egg Moves:[/b]
Mirror Move
Supersonic
Faint Attack
Wing Attack
Whirlwind
Sky Attack
FeatherDance
Agility
Night Shade
Defog
Noctowl has some cool things going for it, even if it doesn't dominate the world. Owl shall be discussed in detail now.

  • Tinted Lens
    Tinted Lens is one of the most valuable abilities in the game, essentially making all of your hits unresisted save immunities. Other than Noctowl, only six fully evolved Pokemon(Yanmega, Mothim, Shinpora, Butterfree, Venomoth and Illumise) learn it. Perhaps more interestingly, Noctowl is the only non-bug type to learn it. This means that, even with it's low offensive stats, Noctowl can run offense.
  • Roost by Level Up
    Unlike most Pokemon, who learned Roost via TM, Noctowl learns Roost by Level Up. Because of this, it is able to combine Roost with Dream World abilities and Gen 5 Egg Moves. Given Noctowl's high HP and good Special Defense, this is a good assest.
  • Two immunities and two useful resistances
    Although Normal/Flying gives it some problems, it DOES give it valuable immunities to Ground and Ghost, in addition to good Bug and Grass resistances. This allows Noctowl to come in on things it directly threatens, not to mention grass and bug moves becoming seemingly more prevailant this generation.
  • Ice, Electric and Rock weaks, making it weak to Stealth Rock
    On the flip side, Noctowl sports weaknesses to two very common attacking types in Electric and Ice, which are commonly seen together, and a weakness to the second half of QuakeEdge. Unfortunately, the weakness to the rock part also means it will be stripped of 25% of it's HP upon entry. This hurts Noctowl's survivability.
  • Somewhat weak attacking movepool, somewhat good support movepool
    Noctowl's attacking movepool isn't great, with only Shadow Ball, Air Slash and Psychic immedietely jumping out. However, Noctowl has an interesting support movepool, with useful moves like Psycho Shift, Reflect, Hypnosis, Toxic and Cheer Up.
Vund, without further ado...


Noctowl @ Choice Specs
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Sp. ATK / 252 Speed
Nature: Modest(+SpA -Atk) / Timid(+Spe -Atk)
~ Air Slash
~ Shadow Ball
~ Psychic / Hyper Beam / Uproar
~ Hidden Power Water / Hidden Power Fighting

Or as I call it, "Rose-Tinted Glasses". The basic idea is to fire off heavy powered, Specs Air Slashes with Tinted Lens, getting through unresisted to blast anything in your way. The remaining moves are moslty coverage: HP Water for Rocks/Grounds, HP Fighting for Steel/Rocks. Shadow Ball hits ghosts SE and Psychic hits only a few things harder. Hyper Beam for an extremely strong Specs attack that goes through unresisted against all but ghosts can also work and Uproar works like a minituare Outrage, but leaves you vulnearable to ghost switches.

Because of Noctowl's low Special Attack, Choice Scarf is not an option. It might be a good idea to invest in some HP over Speed, as well.

Noctowl @ Leftovers
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 252 HP / 202 Defense / 56 Special Defense
Nature: Bold(+Def -Atk)
~ Roost
~ Whirlwind / Toxic / Reflect
~ Whirlwind / Toxic / Reflect
~ Air Slash

Supporting Owl. With 404 HP and defensive EVs, this thing can take a special hit. Roost lets it recover off hits and SR damage. After that, take your pick of supporting options: Letting Noctowl not die to physical attacks easily and supporting, Toxic killing or PHazing/Shuffling. I, personally, recommend Reflect the most out of all of them. Finally, Air Slash is the requisite attacking move so Taunters don't shut you down.

I'm not sure if it was more effiecient to EV this way or to just smash Special Defense. You can probably pump in more Special Defense if you run Reflect. Max HP seems like a must.

Noctowl @ Flame Orb
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 202 Defense / 56 Special Defense
Nature: Bold(+Def -Atk)
~ Rest
~ Sleep Talk
~ Psycho Shift
~ Air Slash

Quite possibly the only Noctowl set you'll see with Keen Eye. Insomnia prevents Rest and Tinted Lens + Sleep Talk is an illegal combination. The basic idea is to switch in Noctowl, who immmedietely draws in physical attackers due to it's shit defense but good/great Special Defense, and then Psycho Shift your status on to them, removing more of their threat. Later, if possible, Rest/Sleep Talk up and maybe even Shift Sleep onto someone!

Air Slash is there as the required attack, EVs the same as the last defensive Set.

Noctowl @ Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Sp. ATK / 252 Speed
Nature: Modest(+SpA -Atk) / Timid(+Spe -Atk)
~ Air Slash
~ Cheer Up / Agility
~ Roost
~ Uproar / Hidden Power Fighting / Shadow Ball

Noctowl suffers from a severe lack of stat boosters, so Cheer Up is it's best option for a Tinted Lens booster. Air Slash is your main unresisted STAB, while Cheer Up boosts it's power. Roost heals damage if you manage to survive that long.

Complimentary attack is a difficult choice. Uproar is strong with STAB, but risky. Hidden Power Fighting hits Steel/Rocks which manage to resist Air Slash for 4x effectiveness. Shadow Ball is SE against ghosts. Take your pick, really.

And...that's it for now. Noctowl might not be the best mon out there, but it's liable to be workable. Let's see you help out!

Also thanks to Rawbi for the image.
 
Posting this as a huge Noctowl fanboy, Tinted Lens isn't helping out at all because attacking Noctowl is just so horrible. Hopefully he'll find some niche in the new lower tier metagames, because he's pretty unchanged.
 
Funny, i just made a comparison between Barujiina (condor lady) and Nocty.

Noctowl: Nocty has acces to Hypnosis, which is a big plus over Barujiina, noctowl can also set up reflect and maybe make up for its pathetic physical defense.Apparenltly now noctowl can cheer up(no pun intended) to boost its OK SpA after landing Hypnosis and make him a little scary which makes him more suited, imo, for try and sweep.

100
50
50
76
96
70
Cheer up on noctowl is a huge improvement, he had no acces to calm mind so i think Noctys dream will maybe come true and people will start taking him more seriously.
 

Aeron Ee1

Nom nom nom
is a Top Contributor Alumnus
I hate to admit it, but its true. Tinted Lens isn't helping Noctowl too much. Poor Johto bird got the best ability in the game and still sucks ass... horribly outclassed by Yanmega in every way besides the rocks weakness and better special defense in place of physical defense, which is far less useful thanks to Blissey being such a bitch.. Yanmega gets better STAB, better SpA, better Speed, better everything else!
 
I think Noctowl still likes Insomnia better. It's an ok support mon with some unique capabilities for a flying/normal. Sadly that most of the supportive moves he had are the same in Gen V.
 
Noctowl's best option is probably the same as it was in Gen IV; come in on status moves and psycho shift them back, or come in on special attacks and use Roost to heal. Night Shade deals consistent damage, so Noctowl's low offensive stats aren't an issue. Something like this is probably the most viable.

Noctowl @ Leftovers
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 252HP, 252Sp.Def, 4Spe
Nature: Calm
~ Roost
~ Psycho Shift
~ Reflect
~ Night Shade
 
Noctowl's best option is probably the same as it was in Gen IV; come in on status moves and psycho shift them back, or come in on special attacks and use Roost to heal. Night Shade deals consistent damage, so Noctowl's low offensive stats aren't an issue. Something like this is probably the most viable.

Noctowl @ Leftovers
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 252HP, 252Sp.Def, 4Spe
Nature: Calm
~ Roost
~ Psycho Shift
~ Reflect
~ Night Shade
Agree. You could also switch Hypnosis with Psycho Shift if you needed more constant stat inducing move.
 
Shinpora does all the Tinted Lens sets better; faster, stronger, with STAB on Psychic.

I want to like Noctowl, but its awful stats prevent it from seeing use, even with Tinted Lens and that fairly decent movepool.

Maybe a bulky shuffler with Roost/Whirlwind would be useful in the lower tiers? As long as SR is out and their spinner is gone, Noctowl could take hits decently...
 
I would use it as it always was used. It would probably be lower tiered but having a wall with Tinted Lens is kinda cool.
 
Noctowl is a cool Pokemon and he works well as a Counter to Grass/Bugs in the lower tiers. Being able to switch into Sleep Powder with Insomnia, he can toss around Seismic Toss/Toxic, while stalling with Roost.

I don't think a lot will change for the owl. Tinted Lens is a good ability, but not with Noctowl's base stats. I suppose if you are running Air Slash as your only attack, it would be okay to spam it, but I would rather invest in defenses and have sleep immunity.
 
As a Tinted Lens user, Noctowl is outclassed by just about everything, since most Tinted Lens users get Butterfly Dance and a better attacking movepool. As a Psycho Shift user and Sleep Talker, Noctowl is outclassed by Cresselia, who has /much/ better stats, and actually takes about a third /less/ damage from Pursuit than Noctowl, despite it being super effective. Overall, I really can't see Noctowl gaining any use from these aspects, since it's so easily outclassed by low-tier pokemon.
 

breh

強いだね
Soo... Venomoth is a top-tier, ridiculously powerful Baton Passer now.

Aaaand of course something as lackluster as it was in gen 4 takes the spot it left behind, lol.

Psycho Shift set is a gimmick (and a terrible one at that... seriously you never noticed that nobody ever used psycho shift Cress? Hell nobody used cress at all but that's beside the point).

Noctowl @ Leftovers
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Nature: Bold(+Def -Atk)
~ Roost
~ Reflect
~ Cheer Up
~ Air Slash

This is probably the set that I like the most; it's kind of like the supporter set and the last set mixed together, combining the setup ability of the last set with the bulk and survivability of the second. It has a decent SpA, a nice ability, and a useful setup move (I'll admit it's not really all that great though, lol).

Noctowl should never really run speed IMO; there's not much in the base 70 speed tier but walls who never invest either.
 
noctowl does have access to heatwave via tutor. this would of course prevent tinted lens as an ability but does grant the ability to come in on unexpecting ferrowthorn and lucarios ect- and threaten them. tinted lens is a great ability but this pokemon is in need of an evolution before it will begin to measure up to stat boosting/scarfed bugs. im going to stick with insomnia and scare out brelooms with QE STAB air slash or SE heatwave and wall everything under UU with reflect/roost
 
I really like Noctowl but it just as two much competition for a bulky flying type with all the sub roosters. I doubt I would sacrifice better bulk for something like Hypnosis which I hate anyway due to its accuracy. It doesnt have the speed of sub roosters like Staraptor or Zapdos or the bulk of Mandibuzz or Zapdos. The onl other thing it has over most sub-roosters is the normal typing. Although that typing gives it an immunity to ghost which isnt reallly seen besides Gengar in OU or Frosslass in UU (which it cant beat it anyway as most carry Substitute to block hypnosis) It also adds a fighting neutrality which is a waste of its flying type
 
Meh, it doesn't even have the offences necessary to pull off a Tinted Lens set. There will be better options available, more so since even Yanmega is in RU.
 

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