[OVERVIEW]
Cradily is a pretty niche defensive pokemon in the PU tier with its unique combination Storm Drain and access to Stealth Rock. Its good bulk and access to reliable recovery allow it to reliably set up Stealth Rock multiple times in a match. Its ability Storm Drain allows Cradily to switch into and take on Water-types well. Its unique type combination gives it useful resistances in Normal and Electric to be able to check Pokemon such as Eelektross, Kangaskhan and Pyroar. However it also leaves it weak to common types like Ice and Fighting of which the latter is commonly run as coverage by Normal-type Pokemon like Stoutland and Zangoose. Base 81 offenses make Cradily unable to do much against anything that resists its STAB moves, forcing it to rely on poisoning them with Toxic. It is terribly slow so it's usually forced to take 2 hits when switching in, limiting its ability to switch into strong hits and to set up Stealth Rock. Being passive invites in Pokemon that are not worried about poison such as Gurdurr with Guts.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Rock Slide / Giga Drain
move 2: Recover
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Careful / Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rock Slide is the preferred STAB-move as it allows Cradily to threaten common threats like Archeops, Oricorio-G and Swanna. Recover is necessary to allow Cradily to keep itself healthy to keep checking Water types and set up Stealth Rock. Toxic is used to discourage set up sweepers like Lilligant from setting up on it. Stealth Rock is used on the last slot to wear down the opposing team with residual damage. Giga Drain is an option to be able to beat Carracosta, Gastrodon and Palossand while providing additional recovery. However without Rock Slide Cradily cannot deal with many common threats it would otherwise beat.
Set Details
========
Fully invested HP and Special Defense with Careful nature is used to maximize Cradily's special bulk. A Calm nature should be used when running Giga Drain over Rock Slide. Leftovers gives Cradily some passive recovery. Storm Drain allows Cradily to switch into Water-type Pokemon like Ludicolo.
Usage Tips
========
Find opportunities to bring in Cradily in the early game to set up Stealth Rock. If there the opposing team has nothing that immediately threathens Cradily it can be used as a lead to set up Stealth Rock as early as possible. Use Recover to keep Cradily as healtyh as possible to allow Cradily to switch into Pokemon such as Pyroar and Swanna and be able to set up Stealth Rock multiple times in a match. Using Recover to keep Cradily at full health is important as it is usually forced to take 2 hits before being able to use Recover when switching in due to its low Speed. Bring Cradily into Water-Type Pokemon like Ludicolo, Lanturn and Carracosta and force them out with the threat Giga Drain or Toxic. Use these forced switched as an opportunity to set up Stealth Rock or use Recover if Cradily is no healthy. Avoid using your STAB-move early in the match to make the opponent wary of switching in Pokemon like Abomasnow or Palossand who can switch into Cradily depending on its STAB-move. Make use Cradily's immunity to Water-type immunity to ease prediction against opposing Water-type Pokemon like Carracosta or Ludicolo as they are less likely to use Water-type moves as long as Cradily is healthy.
Team Options
========
Cradily is best fit on bulkier teams so it should be paired with other defensive Pokemon. Cradily appreciates Poison- and Steel-type Pokemon gone as they are immune to poison from Toxic and resist Giga Drain. Mesprit is able to threathen Poison-types with Psychic and Gurdurr takes on Steel-types while having Guts to absorb status. Cradily is vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards, especially Toxic Spikes. Defog users such as Skuntank and Swanna make for good partners. Swanna in particular is resistant to Bug, Fighting and Steel and appreciates Cradily's ability to take Electric-type hits which Swanna is 4x weak to. Fighting-type checks such as Mesprit and Weezing. Cleric support from Pokemon such as Lanturn and Miltank can be used to remove status from Cradily and its team. Fire-type Pokemon like Magmortar and Pyroar appreciate Storm Drain support from Cradily.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Earthquake is an option to hit Skuntank and Togedemaru harder. A Curse or Sword Dance set can be used with Seed Bomb and Rock Slide but it is outclassed by other Pokemon in these roles as Cradily is slow and weak even when it is boosted. Rocky Helmet can be run over Leftovers to provide chip damage against contant moves, but the lack of passive recovery makes it harder to set up Stealth Rock and makes Cradily more reliant on Recover to keep itself healthy. Mirror Coat can be used to get surprise Kos against opponents like Magmortar using Focus Blast but it's not very consistent and Cradily is already starved for moveslots.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types** Hitmonchan can OHKO Cradily with Drain Punch after Stealth Rock damage. Gurdurr with Guts makes it a good switch in to Toxic and can OHKO Cradily with Guts boosted Drain Punch after Stealth Rock damage. Primeape can OHKO Cradily with Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage.
**Steel-types** Steel types like Ferroseed and Togedemaru (if not running Earthquake) can freely switch in on Cradily and set up hazards or gain momentum with U-turn or Encore.
**Entry Hazards** Cradily is vulnerable to all form of entry hazards with Toxic Spikes being especially effective against it.
**Taunt** Taunt Prevents Cradily from setting up Stealth Rock or using Toxic making it much less threatening.
**Poison-types** Poison types like Weezing are immune to Toxic and takes little damage from Giga Drain. Skuntank can switch into Cradily and remove hazards with Defog.
**Ice-types** Ice types like Abomasnow, Articuno or Jynx can switch into Cradily lacking Rock Slide and threaten it with super effective Ice moves.
**Setup Sweepers** Lilligant is able to set up Quiver Dance on Cradily and recover Toxic damage if it's running Giga Drain. Oricorio-Sensu can set up Calm Mind and block Toxic with Substitute if Cradily is not running Rock Slide.
Cradily is a pretty niche defensive pokemon in the PU tier with its unique combination Storm Drain and access to Stealth Rock. Its good bulk and access to reliable recovery allow it to reliably set up Stealth Rock multiple times in a match. Its ability Storm Drain allows Cradily to switch into and take on Water-types well. Its unique type combination gives it useful resistances in Normal and Electric to be able to check Pokemon such as Eelektross, Kangaskhan and Pyroar. However it also leaves it weak to common types like Ice and Fighting of which the latter is commonly run as coverage by Normal-type Pokemon like Stoutland and Zangoose. Base 81 offenses make Cradily unable to do much against anything that resists its STAB moves, forcing it to rely on poisoning them with Toxic. It is terribly slow so it's usually forced to take 2 hits when switching in, limiting its ability to switch into strong hits and to set up Stealth Rock. Being passive invites in Pokemon that are not worried about poison such as Gurdurr with Guts.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Rock Slide / Giga Drain
move 2: Recover
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Careful / Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rock Slide is the preferred STAB-move as it allows Cradily to threaten common threats like Archeops, Oricorio-G and Swanna. Recover is necessary to allow Cradily to keep itself healthy to keep checking Water types and set up Stealth Rock. Toxic is used to discourage set up sweepers like Lilligant from setting up on it. Stealth Rock is used on the last slot to wear down the opposing team with residual damage. Giga Drain is an option to be able to beat Carracosta, Gastrodon and Palossand while providing additional recovery. However without Rock Slide Cradily cannot deal with many common threats it would otherwise beat.
Set Details
========
Fully invested HP and Special Defense with Careful nature is used to maximize Cradily's special bulk. A Calm nature should be used when running Giga Drain over Rock Slide. Leftovers gives Cradily some passive recovery. Storm Drain allows Cradily to switch into Water-type Pokemon like Ludicolo.
Usage Tips
========
Find opportunities to bring in Cradily in the early game to set up Stealth Rock. If there the opposing team has nothing that immediately threathens Cradily it can be used as a lead to set up Stealth Rock as early as possible. Use Recover to keep Cradily as healtyh as possible to allow Cradily to switch into Pokemon such as Pyroar and Swanna and be able to set up Stealth Rock multiple times in a match. Using Recover to keep Cradily at full health is important as it is usually forced to take 2 hits before being able to use Recover when switching in due to its low Speed. Bring Cradily into Water-Type Pokemon like Ludicolo, Lanturn and Carracosta and force them out with the threat Giga Drain or Toxic. Use these forced switched as an opportunity to set up Stealth Rock or use Recover if Cradily is no healthy. Avoid using your STAB-move early in the match to make the opponent wary of switching in Pokemon like Abomasnow or Palossand who can switch into Cradily depending on its STAB-move. Make use Cradily's immunity to Water-type immunity to ease prediction against opposing Water-type Pokemon like Carracosta or Ludicolo as they are less likely to use Water-type moves as long as Cradily is healthy.
Team Options
========
Cradily is best fit on bulkier teams so it should be paired with other defensive Pokemon. Cradily appreciates Poison- and Steel-type Pokemon gone as they are immune to poison from Toxic and resist Giga Drain. Mesprit is able to threathen Poison-types with Psychic and Gurdurr takes on Steel-types while having Guts to absorb status. Cradily is vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards, especially Toxic Spikes. Defog users such as Skuntank and Swanna make for good partners. Swanna in particular is resistant to Bug, Fighting and Steel and appreciates Cradily's ability to take Electric-type hits which Swanna is 4x weak to. Fighting-type checks such as Mesprit and Weezing. Cleric support from Pokemon such as Lanturn and Miltank can be used to remove status from Cradily and its team. Fire-type Pokemon like Magmortar and Pyroar appreciate Storm Drain support from Cradily.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Earthquake is an option to hit Skuntank and Togedemaru harder. A Curse or Sword Dance set can be used with Seed Bomb and Rock Slide but it is outclassed by other Pokemon in these roles as Cradily is slow and weak even when it is boosted. Rocky Helmet can be run over Leftovers to provide chip damage against contant moves, but the lack of passive recovery makes it harder to set up Stealth Rock and makes Cradily more reliant on Recover to keep itself healthy. Mirror Coat can be used to get surprise Kos against opponents like Magmortar using Focus Blast but it's not very consistent and Cradily is already starved for moveslots.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types** Hitmonchan can OHKO Cradily with Drain Punch after Stealth Rock damage. Gurdurr with Guts makes it a good switch in to Toxic and can OHKO Cradily with Guts boosted Drain Punch after Stealth Rock damage. Primeape can OHKO Cradily with Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage.
**Steel-types** Steel types like Ferroseed and Togedemaru (if not running Earthquake) can freely switch in on Cradily and set up hazards or gain momentum with U-turn or Encore.
**Entry Hazards** Cradily is vulnerable to all form of entry hazards with Toxic Spikes being especially effective against it.
**Taunt** Taunt Prevents Cradily from setting up Stealth Rock or using Toxic making it much less threatening.
**Poison-types** Poison types like Weezing are immune to Toxic and takes little damage from Giga Drain. Skuntank can switch into Cradily and remove hazards with Defog.
**Ice-types** Ice types like Abomasnow, Articuno or Jynx can switch into Cradily lacking Rock Slide and threaten it with super effective Ice moves.
**Setup Sweepers** Lilligant is able to set up Quiver Dance on Cradily and recover Toxic damage if it's running Giga Drain. Oricorio-Sensu can set up Calm Mind and block Toxic with Substitute if Cradily is not running Rock Slide.
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