GIT-R-DUN
[Overview]
<p>Cranidos, quite frankly, hits about as hard as the comet that killed off its dinosaur brethren. Sporting an absolutely monstrous base 125 Attack equal to that of Gyarados all the way in OU as well as a powerful STAB move in Head Smash, Cranidos is an offensive juggernaut to say the least. It also sports great coverage moves as well and an amazing ability in Mold Breaker. Combine this with good HP and decent Speed, and Cranidos has the potential to flatten unprepared teams.</p>
<p>However, not everything is peachy for Cranidos. Its Speed is only average, allowing faster Pokemon to prey on its mediocre defenses and take it out. Priority is also a thorn in Cranidos's side; most of the widely seen priority moves in Little Cup hit Cranidos super effectively, meaning that priority abusers probably need to be eliminated before Cranidos can be used effectively. Once most or all of the threats to Cranidos are gone, it can do what it does best: hit everything in sight as hard as possible.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Fire Punch
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 60 HP / 236 Atk / 212 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Choice Scarf to alleviate its average Speed, Cranidos can work as a great cleaner thanks to its combination of massive Attack, STAB Head Smash, and great coverage moves. Cranidos hits 22 Speed with an Adamant nature and Choice Scarf, allowing it to get the jump on all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup as well as many Choice Scarf users who sit at 21 Speed. Head Smash, the crux of this set, hits extremely hard, scoring 2HKOs on most Pokemon in the metagame. However, when Head Smash's recoil starts to get Cranidos's health down to dangerously low levels, it's advised that you use Stone Edge, which doesn't hit quite as hard but lacks recoil, making it a great choice. Earthquake provides great coverage alongside Rock-type moves, and has the added bonus of hitting Pokemon with Levitate thanks to Mold Breaker. Lastly, Zen Headbutt hits common Fighting-types very hard on the switch, while Fire Punch knocks out Ferroseed, who otherwise walls Cranidos nicely.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With maximum investment in Cranidos's Attack and an Adamant nature, our dinosaur hits a monstrous 24 Attack. 212 Speed EVs is just enough to hit 22 Speed with a Choice Scarf, outspeeding most unboosted Pokemon and a plethora of Choice Scarf users sitting at 21 Speed. The remaining EVs are put into HP not just to increase Cranidos's overall bulk, but to help it soak up recoil from Head Smash. There are also some other moves you can use on this set. Crunch is a decent option to hit Psychic-types and Ghost-types, but even then it is usually weaker than Head Smash and only slightly more powerful than Stone Edge. Pursuit is a decent move for putting Pokemon in a checkmate position, though Cranidos is strapped for moveslots as it is.</p>
<p>Teammates that can take out bulky Ground-types like Hippopotas are a huge help to Cranidos, since they are its top counters, taking minimal damage from Head Smash. Staryu fits this bill nicely, sporting nice bulk as well as amazing Speed and Special Attack to blow its opponents out of the water. However, Staryu itself and other fast Water-types are nice checks to Cranidos, so Chinchou or Croagunk can be used to take these out easily. Mantyke is also a nice teammate not just because of its Water typing, but because it can easily soak up most of the priority moves being thrown at Cranidos. It also easily takes the Fighting-type moves which can destroy Cranidos. Other teammates can get rid of faster Choice Scarf users, wallslike Ferroseed and Munchlax fitting this role to a tee.</p>
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Crunch
item: Life Orb / Oran Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 60 HP / 236 Atk / 212 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Choice Scarf Cranidos is meant to use a hit-and-run strategy, the Rock Polish set is meant to set up and sweep outright with its combination of high power STAB and coverage moves as well as its ever-useful base 125 Attack. Rock Polish is a given on this set, boosting Cranidos to 30 Speed, enough to outpace all of the unboosted metagame and most boosted Pokemon as well. Stone Edge is used on this set instead of Head Smash, since Cranidos can't afford to take more recoil than it already does from Life Orb, and it is still very powerful. Earthquake is a great coverage move, getting great neutral coverage when combined with Stone Edge. Thanks to Mold Breaker, it also hits Pokemon with Levitate, which is a huge plus. Zen Headbutt allows Cranidos to hit Fighting-type Pokemon very hard on the switch, while Crunch allows Cranidos to hit Ghost-types incredibly hard. Life Orb is the preferred item, allowing Cranidos to switch attacks and giving it a nice power boost. However, Oran Berry is an option to allow Cranidos to stay on the field longer.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs for Rock Polish Cranidos are the same as before; maximize Attack for as much firepower as possible, with 212 Speed EVs to hit 15 Speed unboosted and 30 Speed after one Rock Polish. The rest is put into HP to increase Cranidos's overall bulk. This Cranidos greatly appreciates dual screens support to help it set up. Bulky users such as Bronzor are good for this type of business. Bronzor can also set up Stealth Rock, aiding Cranidos in its sweep.</p>
<p>Rock Polish Cranidos, like Choice Scarf Cranidos, appreciates Pokemon taking out its counters before it has to come out on the field. Bulky Ground-types can easily be taken out by powerful Water-types, such as Mantyke, who also readily takes on Fighting-type attacks and priority for Cranidos. Walls that can stop faster Pokemon from getting the jump on Cranidos are also a help.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>While Cranidos has that massive Attack, which should always be used, it has a respectable special movepool. However, its Special Attack isn't anywhere near as great as its Attack. The only special attacks that should possibly be considered are Ice Beam to hit Ground-types harder, and Fire Blast to hit Grass-types and Ferroseed. Superpower is an option to hit Scraggy very hard, though unfortunately it doesn't OHKO Eviolite variants. ThunderPunch is a nice option to hit Water-types.</p>
<p>Cranidos can run a Swords Dance set or a set with two boosting moves in Swords Dance and Rock Polish, but Cranidos is fairly slow and it needs as much coverage as it can get. Choice Band Cranidos hits like an 18-wheeler but again, Cranidos isn't quite fast enough to abuse it. Paralysis support is recommended if you use Choice Band Cranidos. It also has access to Whirlwind and Stealth Rock, but Cranidos is frail and as such is not exactly the best user of either move. A Substitute + 3 attacks set seems interesting on paper, though Cranidos has trouble setting up due to its frailty.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Switching into Cranidos comes with the problem of taking a hit from something with base 125 Attack, as well as a 150 Base Power STAB move to back it up. Perhaps the best Pokemon for the job are bulky Ground-types such as Hippopotas and Phanpy, who take little damage from Head Smash and most of Cranidos's other moves. They also threaten Cranidos with STAB Earthquake, OHKOing more often than not. Steel-types are the next best option, as they can switch in on anything but Earthquake with relative ease. If you don't have to switch in on an attack from Cranidos, the list of checks increases dramatically. Faster Pokemon and users of priority can take out Cranidos with ease thanks to its only average defenses. Fighting-types with and without priority can maim Cranidos with their super effective STAB moves.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Cranidos gets Sheer Force from the Dream World. This gives it a better alternative to Stone Edge in Rock Slide thanks to the power boost, but it loses the advantage of using Earthquake along with Mold Breaker, as well as some important 4th generation moves.</p>
[Overview]
<p>Cranidos, quite frankly, hits about as hard as the comet that killed off its dinosaur brethren. Sporting an absolutely monstrous base 125 Attack equal to that of Gyarados all the way in OU as well as a powerful STAB move in Head Smash, Cranidos is an offensive juggernaut to say the least. It also sports great coverage moves as well and an amazing ability in Mold Breaker. Combine this with good HP and decent Speed, and Cranidos has the potential to flatten unprepared teams.</p>
<p>However, not everything is peachy for Cranidos. Its Speed is only average, allowing faster Pokemon to prey on its mediocre defenses and take it out. Priority is also a thorn in Cranidos's side; most of the widely seen priority moves in Little Cup hit Cranidos super effectively, meaning that priority abusers probably need to be eliminated before Cranidos can be used effectively. Once most or all of the threats to Cranidos are gone, it can do what it does best: hit everything in sight as hard as possible.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Fire Punch
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 60 HP / 236 Atk / 212 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Choice Scarf to alleviate its average Speed, Cranidos can work as a great cleaner thanks to its combination of massive Attack, STAB Head Smash, and great coverage moves. Cranidos hits 22 Speed with an Adamant nature and Choice Scarf, allowing it to get the jump on all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup as well as many Choice Scarf users who sit at 21 Speed. Head Smash, the crux of this set, hits extremely hard, scoring 2HKOs on most Pokemon in the metagame. However, when Head Smash's recoil starts to get Cranidos's health down to dangerously low levels, it's advised that you use Stone Edge, which doesn't hit quite as hard but lacks recoil, making it a great choice. Earthquake provides great coverage alongside Rock-type moves, and has the added bonus of hitting Pokemon with Levitate thanks to Mold Breaker. Lastly, Zen Headbutt hits common Fighting-types very hard on the switch, while Fire Punch knocks out Ferroseed, who otherwise walls Cranidos nicely.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With maximum investment in Cranidos's Attack and an Adamant nature, our dinosaur hits a monstrous 24 Attack. 212 Speed EVs is just enough to hit 22 Speed with a Choice Scarf, outspeeding most unboosted Pokemon and a plethora of Choice Scarf users sitting at 21 Speed. The remaining EVs are put into HP not just to increase Cranidos's overall bulk, but to help it soak up recoil from Head Smash. There are also some other moves you can use on this set. Crunch is a decent option to hit Psychic-types and Ghost-types, but even then it is usually weaker than Head Smash and only slightly more powerful than Stone Edge. Pursuit is a decent move for putting Pokemon in a checkmate position, though Cranidos is strapped for moveslots as it is.</p>
<p>Teammates that can take out bulky Ground-types like Hippopotas are a huge help to Cranidos, since they are its top counters, taking minimal damage from Head Smash. Staryu fits this bill nicely, sporting nice bulk as well as amazing Speed and Special Attack to blow its opponents out of the water. However, Staryu itself and other fast Water-types are nice checks to Cranidos, so Chinchou or Croagunk can be used to take these out easily. Mantyke is also a nice teammate not just because of its Water typing, but because it can easily soak up most of the priority moves being thrown at Cranidos. It also easily takes the Fighting-type moves which can destroy Cranidos. Other teammates can get rid of faster Choice Scarf users, wallslike Ferroseed and Munchlax fitting this role to a tee.</p>
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Crunch
item: Life Orb / Oran Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 60 HP / 236 Atk / 212 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Choice Scarf Cranidos is meant to use a hit-and-run strategy, the Rock Polish set is meant to set up and sweep outright with its combination of high power STAB and coverage moves as well as its ever-useful base 125 Attack. Rock Polish is a given on this set, boosting Cranidos to 30 Speed, enough to outpace all of the unboosted metagame and most boosted Pokemon as well. Stone Edge is used on this set instead of Head Smash, since Cranidos can't afford to take more recoil than it already does from Life Orb, and it is still very powerful. Earthquake is a great coverage move, getting great neutral coverage when combined with Stone Edge. Thanks to Mold Breaker, it also hits Pokemon with Levitate, which is a huge plus. Zen Headbutt allows Cranidos to hit Fighting-type Pokemon very hard on the switch, while Crunch allows Cranidos to hit Ghost-types incredibly hard. Life Orb is the preferred item, allowing Cranidos to switch attacks and giving it a nice power boost. However, Oran Berry is an option to allow Cranidos to stay on the field longer.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs for Rock Polish Cranidos are the same as before; maximize Attack for as much firepower as possible, with 212 Speed EVs to hit 15 Speed unboosted and 30 Speed after one Rock Polish. The rest is put into HP to increase Cranidos's overall bulk. This Cranidos greatly appreciates dual screens support to help it set up. Bulky users such as Bronzor are good for this type of business. Bronzor can also set up Stealth Rock, aiding Cranidos in its sweep.</p>
<p>Rock Polish Cranidos, like Choice Scarf Cranidos, appreciates Pokemon taking out its counters before it has to come out on the field. Bulky Ground-types can easily be taken out by powerful Water-types, such as Mantyke, who also readily takes on Fighting-type attacks and priority for Cranidos. Walls that can stop faster Pokemon from getting the jump on Cranidos are also a help.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>While Cranidos has that massive Attack, which should always be used, it has a respectable special movepool. However, its Special Attack isn't anywhere near as great as its Attack. The only special attacks that should possibly be considered are Ice Beam to hit Ground-types harder, and Fire Blast to hit Grass-types and Ferroseed. Superpower is an option to hit Scraggy very hard, though unfortunately it doesn't OHKO Eviolite variants. ThunderPunch is a nice option to hit Water-types.</p>
<p>Cranidos can run a Swords Dance set or a set with two boosting moves in Swords Dance and Rock Polish, but Cranidos is fairly slow and it needs as much coverage as it can get. Choice Band Cranidos hits like an 18-wheeler but again, Cranidos isn't quite fast enough to abuse it. Paralysis support is recommended if you use Choice Band Cranidos. It also has access to Whirlwind and Stealth Rock, but Cranidos is frail and as such is not exactly the best user of either move. A Substitute + 3 attacks set seems interesting on paper, though Cranidos has trouble setting up due to its frailty.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Switching into Cranidos comes with the problem of taking a hit from something with base 125 Attack, as well as a 150 Base Power STAB move to back it up. Perhaps the best Pokemon for the job are bulky Ground-types such as Hippopotas and Phanpy, who take little damage from Head Smash and most of Cranidos's other moves. They also threaten Cranidos with STAB Earthquake, OHKOing more often than not. Steel-types are the next best option, as they can switch in on anything but Earthquake with relative ease. If you don't have to switch in on an attack from Cranidos, the list of checks increases dramatically. Faster Pokemon and users of priority can take out Cranidos with ease thanks to its only average defenses. Fighting-types with and without priority can maim Cranidos with their super effective STAB moves.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Cranidos gets Sheer Force from the Dream World. This gives it a better alternative to Stone Edge in Rock Slide thanks to the power boost, but it loses the advantage of using Earthquake along with Mold Breaker, as well as some important 4th generation moves.</p>
