[OVERVIEW]
Excellent mixed defensive stats combined with access to Stealth Rock, Recover, and Storm Drain can make Cradily the perfect fit on defensive teams that need a reliable Stealth Rock setter and Scald switch-in. Its unique defensive typing lets it handle many Water-, Electric-, and Normal-types well, such as Ludicolo, Lanturn, and Swellow, while also giving it a good matchup against many entry hazard removers, such as Mantine, Xatu, and Kabutops, and special attackers in general, such as Pyroar and Vivillon. This makes Cradily a fantastic bulky pivot in general thanks to the number of threats it checks at once, and it is suitable both as a member of a defensive core on stall teams and as the glue that holds a more offensive team together. However, its average attacking stats and low-powered STAB attacks make Cradily quite easy to switch into or set up on, especially for bulky foes such as Weezing, Malamar, and Gurdurr. Furthermore, Cradily's low Speed stat and numerous weaknesses to common attacking types mean that it's easily forced out in the early-game. As a result, Cradily's passive nature ensures that it requires good defensive synergy with its teammates to be effective and not present too many opportunities for the opponent to capitalize on its weaknesses.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Recover
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Rock Slide / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Sassy / Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock allows Cradily to provide entry hazard support for its teammates and punish the opponent for switching in dangerous wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Aurorus that usually threaten defensive teams. Stealth Rock also breaks Focus Sashes and Sturdy, which is useful for helping a cleaner secure KOs in the late-game. Recover is Cradily's main niche over other Stealth Rock setters, allowing it to stay healthy throughout the match with much more PP than Moonlight or Morning Sun and no weather dependence, preventing it from being worn down by weaker attackers. Giga Drain is a reliable STAB attack that provides extra recovery and has great synergy with Storm Drain, both by gaining considerable power after the boost and by directly threatening the Water-types that Cradily switches into, such as Lanturn and Kabutops. Rock Slide is another STAB attack that improves Cradily's matchup against many Pokemon it checks well, such as Swellow, Pyroar, and Xatu. While Stone Edge can be used for its higher power, its low PP and accuracy are unappealing for a defensive Pokemon like Cradily. Toxic is also a good option, as it makes Cradily less passive against bulky Pokemon in general, such as Assault Vest Hariyama and Calm Mind Mega Audino, and Cradily can Toxic-stall foes quite effectively through the use of Recover.
Set Details
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Maximum HP and Special Defense investment makes Cradily as specially bulky as possible and significantly improves its matchup against most of the threats it checks best, such as Swellow, Pyroar, and Vivillon. It also lets Cradily take Ice Beams from specially offensive Water-types, such as Samurott, offensive Lanturn, and Floatzel, much more comfortably in a pinch. A Sassy nature should be used alongside Rock Slide to avoid lowering Cradily's Attack stat, but a Calm nature is fine if Toxic is used instead. Likewise, a Careful nature should be used if Toxic is used over Giga Drain, which is also viable if your team already carries a strong Grass-type such as Sceptile. Storm Drain is one of the main reasons to use Cradily, providing an immunity to Scald and all other Water-type moves while also boosting Giga Drain's power if Cradily absorbs a Water-type move. Storm Drain vastly increases the number of Pokemon that Cradily can check or counter, improving its role compression on defensive teams and its versatility as a pivot on balanced and offensive teams. Leftovers gives Cradily some passive recovery, making it even harder to take down and letting it Toxic-stall foes more easily by reducing the number of attacks that can reliably 2HKO it and break past Recover spam.
Usage Tips
========
Cradily makes for a decent lead for defensive teams and can set Stealth Rock early on in the match if the opponent does not lead with a strong Fighting- or Ice-type attacker, such as Sawk or Aurorus. Through its use of Recover to keep its health high, Cradily can also come in throughout the match and set up Stealth Rock multiple times if the entry hazard is removed by Rapid Spin or Defog. Thanks to its good recovery options and many resistances, Cradily makes a good mid-game pivot into many special attackers, as well as certain physical attackers, such as Kangaskhan, Kabutops, and Barbaracle without Fighting-type coverage, because of its above-average uninvested Defense stat. Likewise, Cradily can also spread Toxic effectively throughout the match thanks to the switches that it forces so that its teammates can stall out the opponent's offensive Pokemon or stallbreakers such as Mismagius more easily. However, Cradily should be wary of potentially switching into certain coverage moves, such as Samurott's Megahorn. Cradily is highly susceptible to Toxic poison and should be careful about switching into foes that are likely to use the move, such as Mantine and Quagsire, unless there is little opportunity cost in switching to a Heal Bell or Aromatherapy user later, such as Lanturn or Mega Audino. Similarly, Cradily should not switch into Toxic Spikes before it is removed by a teammate. Immunity to Sleep Powder also makes Cradily a decent pivot into certain setup sweepers, such as Lilligant and Vivillon. However, it struggles to KO them without Toxic and Rock Slide, respectively, and it can't stop them if they already have a few boosts.
Team Options
========
Cradily appreciates teammates that can switch into Pokemon that threaten it, namely strong Bug-, Ice-, Fighting-, and Steel-type attackers. Musharna and Weezing are good responses to Fighting-types such as Sawk, while Fire-types such as Magmortar, Pyroar, and Combusken are good at dealing with the others on more balanced and offensive team builds. These Fire-types also highly appreciate Cradily's immunity to Water-type attacks. Lanturn, Piloswine, and Assault Vest Hariyama can also deal well with most Ice- and Steel-types. Grounded Poison-types, such as Skuntank and Garbodor, are highly useful teammates on both balanced and defensive teams thanks to their ability to absorb Toxic Spikes, which completely cripples Cradily and many of its common teammates. Heal Bell and Aromatherapy users, such as Lanturn and Musharna, are similarly good partners for Cradily thanks to their ability to remove Toxic poison and burns. Bulky setup sweepers, particularly Malamar, Musharna, and Mega Audino, can easily take advantage of Cradily that lack Toxic, so teammates that can deal with setup sweepers in general, such as Curse Quagsire and Haze Altaria, are highly appreciated.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A physically defensive set with a Rocky Helmet can be used to improve Cradily's matchup against physical Normal-types such as Kangaskhan, Tauros, and Guts Swellow, as well as certain physical Water-types such as Kabutops and Barbaracle, but this is generally not as useful, as common Pokemon such as Sawk and Steelix can still break though it easily. Weakness Policy on the standard specially defensive set allows Cradily to take advantage of non-STAB super effective coverage moves such as Swellow's U-turn, Lanturn's Ice Beam, and Sceptile's Hidden Power Ice and strike back hard with a powerful STAB attack. Earth Power or Earthquake can be used on this set to hit threats such as Steelix, Skuntank, and Garbodor for more damage. However, the lack of passive recovery from Leftovers for this set makes it less consistent in general, and its utility is diminished if Cradily switches out after the item is activated. A double dance set with Swords Dance and Rock Polish can turn Cradily into an unusual sweeper, differentiating itself from Rhydon with an immunity to Water and the ability to break through Quagsire. Alternatively, Rock Polish can be run with Weakness Policy and three attacks to secure an endgame sweep, but forgoing Recover or Earth Power leaves Cradily with lacking longevity and coverage, respectively. Mirror Coat is a niche option that can help Cradily lure in and KO certain attackers, but it can often deal with most of Mirror Coat's targets, such as Samurott and Abomasnow, by using Giga Drain or Rock Slide. Ancient Power and Hidden Power Rock are alternative special Rock-type attacks that gain a boost from Storm Drain, but they generally shouldn't be used because physical Rock-type attacks are more consistently useful against most targets, especially Cryogonal and Assault Vest Magmortar. Rock Tomb can also be used for higher accuracy and the ability to lower the foe's Speed for a teammate to take advantage of, but Cradily is usually too slow to make use of the Speed drop itself. Finally, while Sticky Hold makes Cradily immune to the effects of Trick and Knock Off, it is generally inferior to Storm Drain and should never be used, especially as Mega Audino is a common teammate on stall teams that also has this utility without the severe opportunity cost.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Powerful Attackers with Super Effective Moves**: If Cradily does not invest in its Defense stat, powerful physical attackers can easily take advantage of its many type weaknesses. Choice Band Sawk, Choice Band Scyther, and Steelix can break past Recover with ease. Likewise, Choice Specs Aurorus can easily break past even fully invested Cradily with its strong Ice-type attacks.
**Setup Sweepers**: Due to Cradily's low Speed and attacking power, setup sweepers can easily take advantage of it if it lacks Toxic, and many can deal with it even if it does carry the move, such as Gurdurr, Malamar, and Heal Bell Musharna.
**Taunt Users**: Cradily relies on Recover to stay healthy throughout the match, Toxic to cripple bulky Pokemon, and Stealth Rock to support its teammates. Therefore, Taunt users such as Mismagius and Skuntank can completely lock Cradily down due to its low Speed, making it very easy for a threatening teammate to switch into it due to its mediocre attacking power.
**Defensive Pokemon**: Cradily struggles to do much damage against defensive threats that aren't weak to its attacks, with Vileplume, Weezing, and Ferroseed being particularly strong counters due to their immunity to Toxic and ability to punish Cradily's passive nature with their support moves.
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