PokéBase - Pokémon Q&A
5 votes
95,405 views

If you have a good competitive moveset for Noctowl, 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.

Noctowl Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Sprite

by
edited by

9 Answers

2 votes

Gen V

Noctowl (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 240 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
- Night Shade
- Roost
- Reflect
- Hypnosis

I personally like this guy a lot as a wall. And since it's so unknown, I sometimes have people trying to put him to sleep! Completely defensive EV spread. As such, Night Shade is going to be doing the most damage. Roost provides healing along with Leftovers. Your defense isn't very good, but Reflect takes care of that. Hypnosis puts the foe to sleep of course. Actually a pretty good wall. I was surprised how well it worked out when I used it on an actual team.

by
edited by
why use roost instead rest? because you fully heal and due to your ability you don't fall asleep
Insomnia prevents Rest.
1 vote

Lead Owl
Noctowl @ Leftovers
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Magic Coat
- Night Shade
- Toxic
- Roost / Protect


Anyone else think that the Headmaster Gaepora in Skyward Sword looks like an Owl? and even has the same Eyebrows as Noctowl? He even goes "hooo hooo", and his name sounds like the last name of the owl in Ocarina of time Gaebora. Magic-coat reflects entry hazards, status, Etc. Night-shade is for reliable damage. Toxic is for stalling. Roost would be for healing, but you could use Protect for stalling as well, I prefer Roost.

by
edited by
If you are putting 252 on Defense, you should use reflect instead of Magic Coat, since his defense is crap.

Maybe you should put 252 EVs on HP, and this guy will take sp attacks like a boss
1 vote

~ NOCTOWL never fails at catching prey in darkness. This POKéMON owes its success to its superior vision that allows it to see in minimal light, and to its soft, supple wings that make no sound in flight. ~ Ruby/ Sapphire
~When it needs to think, it rotates its head 180 degrees to sharpen its intellectual power. ~ Soul Silver

Noctowl @ Flame Orb / Metronome
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 80 HP / 200 Def / 8 SpD / 124 Spe
Bold / Timid Nature
- Roost / Defog
- Tailwind / Magic Coat
- Psycho Shift / Psych Up
- Mirror Move / Hyper Beam / Hyper Voice

Noctowl is an interesting field version of a Normal/ Flying type. It has good options for utility moves but Noctowl's stats leave much to be desired. This EV spread uses a balanced allocation to give Noctowl enough defenses and HP to use its utility moves effectively. As such, it makes a great utility support lead or an anti-leader. The move set can also be tailored, as you may prefer a utilities Doubles Noctowl. I find that this general set requires careful prediction; a high risk, high rewards Pokemon.

Roost will allow Noctowl to heal off some of the damage it will take as a lead. Large HP pool means better Roost regeneration. *Defog will allow you to remove troublesome obstacles that can pose a problem for the team. Of course, switching in to Stealth Rocks to do this will harm Noctowl's longevity. Tailwind is a great support move Noctowl can use to gain a Speed advantage over other Pokemon. This helps when needing to affect turn orders for your team. Alternatively, the priority granted by Magic Coat can prevent other leads from using Taunt or other status while allowing you to defensively affect turn orders. Psycho Shift is useful for removing any status you may inevitably incur although Noctowl can does make an effective wielder of Flame Orb. Passing Burns to Pokemon may break their offensive momentum. Psych Up can also be used in combination with Psycho Shift to copy defensive or speed boosts and pass debilitating status effects. Noctowl can also use Mirror Move to turn an opponents moves against it by hitting it with its own STAB or a move its weak against. If it isn't effective, the move will be boosted by the ability Tinted Lens. This pairing of bulk and utility makes Noctowl one of the most effective Mirror Move users. If you need power Hyper Beam gets STAB, but requires a secondary charging turn. However, if you prefer longevity, Hyper Voice** has good PP and power.

by
edited by
1 vote

Support Noctowl

Noctowl @ Heavy Duty Boots
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Air Slash
- Defog

Noctowl's decent HP and Special Defense stats allow it to pull of a defensive set. Defog (clears away hazards) and Whirlwind (prevents setup wallbreakers/sweepers from taking advantage of how passive it is) are a couple forms of the utility Noctowl has.

by
edited by
0 votes

Double/Triple Battle

Noctowl (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 Def / 76 SpA / 180 SpD
Calm Nature
- Reflect
- Round
- Air Slash
- Psych Up

Still like Noctowl. It has nice bulk and performs quite well in the lower tiers. Air Slash gets STAB and can hit any foe. Round gets STAB and becomes more powerful if other Pokemon use it. These moves are resisted by quite a few Pokemon, which is where Tinted Lens comes in. Reflect provides team support. Psych Up can be used to gain Special Attack. I know, risky, but you have another Pokemon with a boost, so that should distract. And Noctowl has bulk, so it might be able to pull it off. I'd use it with a Follow Me Clefable (who can also use Round.)

by
edited by
0 votes

Noctowl @ Flying Gem
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Work Up
- Hurricane
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Roost

Agility to boost up speed, Work Up to raise Sp.Atk, then use Hurricane, or Hidden Power Ground on all the things Hurricane is not very effective on (Electric, Steel, Rock). Roost to heal.

by
edited by
0 votes

Gen 8 NU
Noctowl
Noctowl @ Leftovers
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Roost
- Air Slash
- Moonblast / Heat Wave / Shadow Ball

Calm Mind boosts Noctowl's SpA and SpD, making it hit hard and tank special attacks well. Air Slash is obligatory STAB with a chance to flinch. You have some options for the last move. Moonblast hits Pokemon like Absol, Druddigon, Toxicroak and Alolan Exeggutor. Heat Wave is for Steel- and Grass-types, like Escavalier, Whimsicott, and Magneton. Shadow Ball gets Psychic- and Ghost-types, such as Espeon, Cofagrigus, and Mesprit.

by
edited by
0 votes

Gen 8 ZU

Noctowl @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest / Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane / Air Slash
- Heat Wave
- Nasty Plot
- Agility

A double dance set. You can use this set under dual screens to help setup. Hurricane is strong STAB, but has 70 accuracy. You can use Air Slash instead for better accuracy. Heat Wave is for coverage. Nasty Plot boosts your Special Attack. Agility is to raise your Speed. Tinted Lens is a must for this set as it makes Noctowl's attacks do double damage on Pokémon that resist flying and fire type moves.

by
0 votes

Time for making a set for the owl that should have been a psychic type
Noctowl
Gen VIII
Noctowl @ Life Orb
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Roost
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Air slash

Roost is for recovery
Air Slash is STAB
Shadow Ball and Psychic are for coverage

by
edited by
Why not Roost > Reflect?
Yeah...since reflect still isn't good on noctowl
Yeah, I didn't think on that, thanks for pointing out!!!!