OU Crawdaunt

Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell
Overview
########

From beneath the loamy sand and calm tides, Crawdaunt arrives on the battlefield as a true powerhouse. Crawdaunt's Knock Off, Crabhammer, and Aqua Jet are truly exceptional. Coming from a base 120 Attack stat and boosted by Adaptability, nearly nothing can stand up to this kind of power. However, Crawdaunt has little else beyond these virtues and suffers from numerous flaws, including poor Speed that is only mildly mitigated by Aqua Jet and poor defenses. If played smartly, Crawdaunt will always pull its weight, and against the correct matchup, it will do far more.

Wallbreaker
########
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Crabhammer
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Crunch / Swords Dance
ability: Adaptability
item: Life Orb / Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Knock Off's strength and utility are what set Crawdaunt apart from other wallbreakers as it is the strongest user of the move. Not only are there few defensive Pokemon that resist the Dark-type, but almost all of them lose their item when struck with Knock Off, rendering them much easier to beat. Crabhammer's power is also incredibly impressive; achieving a 2HKO on max HP Azumarill with a resisted move is something else. Aqua Jet is weaker, but it gives Crawdaunt some utility against faster teams, letting it force out important and frail members of the opposing team, creating opportunities to throw around Crabhammer or Knock Off. Beyond pressuring frail Pokemon, Aqua Jet provides revenge killing utility against dangerous threats such as a weakened Mega Tyranitar. While Crunch appears completely redundant with Knock Off, its superior power against Mega Pokemon allows Crawdaunt to break past the bulkiest ones, such as Venusaur. Swords Dance on such a slow and frail Pokemon is understandably questionable, but it makes Crawdaunt an even more fearsome stallbreaker. It will only be successful if applied carefully against opponents, but when it is successful it bursts open the proverbial dam of defenses for other team members to capitalize on. Aerial Ace can be run for the sole purpose of sniping Chesnaught, but has little use otherwise. Finally, Superpower can be run in the final slot. Though situational, it lets Crawdaunt easily destroy Mega Gyarados, which walls it otherwise.

Set Details
========

Adaptability's power increase makes it by far the most useful ability Crawdaunt has. The EV spread is simple and optimal. Maximum Attack with an Adamant nature hits as hard as possible, letting Crawdaunt excel as a wallbreaker. Maximum Speed with a neutral nature outspeeds up to uninvested base 86 Speed Pokemon, while Jolly can be used to get the drop on Jolly Mawile, Azumarill, and slightly invested Rotom-W. Choice Band confers an insane amount of power to Crawdaunt, letting it easily 2HKO even bulky Pokemon that resist its STAB. A Life Orb is also perfect for Crawdaunt, allowing it to switch moves, letting it finish off switch-ins sufficiently weakened by Knock Off or Crabhammer. A Life Orb is the only appropriate item to use with Swords Dance.

Usage Tips
========

Crawdaunt's defenses are bad, so simply bringing it on resisted moves is not a sufficiently safe tactic; only weak resisted moves can be comfortably absorbed and even they might be unsafe as generally they have a nasty side effect, such as Heatran's Lava Plume or Mandibuzz's Knock Off. In general, careful double switches, clean switch-ins, or switch advantage generated by U-turn or Volt Switch users are the best time to bring Crawdaunt in. Crawdaunt outspeeds most defensive Pokemon and OHKOes many, so simply select powerful STABs against them and watch as massive damage is dealt. Against offensive teams, Crawdaunt's application is a bit more complex. If it can not outspeed the opposition and OHKO, it will be lost. Therefore, only Aqua Jet-weak threats such as Landorus or Terrakion as well as slower threats whose priority Crawdaunt resists, such as a weakened Mega Mawile, should be checked with Crawdaunt. After that, it is necessary to read the play and predict correctly, as hitting an incoming Water-type resistance with Aqua Jet is useless, but hitting that same opponent with Knock Off will most certainly sting. Try to appraise how important what you threaten with Crawdaunt is and then predict accordingly. Crawdaunt is a wallbreaker first, so it should be played very aggressively against stall teams, and if the opportunity to break through the opponent's defensive core comes such that a win condition is in sight, don't be afraid to let Crawdaunt go down in the process. Swords Dance is challenging to use and will only really be successful against heavily defensive teams that try to utilize recovery + Toxic, recovery + Rocky Helmet, or Leech Seed + Protect to stall out Crawdaunt. Should the opponent attempt these kinds of tactics, simply set up in their face and they will have a real problem on their hands. Do not be afraid of Unaware users as both are easily 2HKOed with the correct STAB. Crawdaunt is not hard to check for faster teams unless its Aqua Jet will be needed later in the match, so after scoring a KO it is better to just let Crawdaunt get KOed than to switch it out and take heavy damage or give free setup as Crawdaunt's main job is to fight defensive teams.

Team Options
========

Though Crawdaunt is powerful, a few switch-ins such as Keldeo and Chesnaught do exist; good answers to these Pokemon are useful to have alongside Crawdaunt. Mega Venusaur with Hidden Power Fire is a solid answer to all of these threats, and with its Leech Seed immunity it makes Chesnaught easier to wear down. Ferrothorn is an answer to Azumarill, and Latios is a good answer to both Keldeo and Chesnaught. As mentioned before, pivots will increase Crawdaunt's presence in a match greatly. Mega Manectric and Choice Scarf Landorus-T excel against offensive teams and can create switch advantage for Crawdaunt quite easily.


Other Options
########

Dragon Dance is something in Crawdaunt's arsenal, but Crawdaunt is fast enough for defensive teams unboosted, and too slow for offensive teams when boosted, Swords Dance is superior in nearly every way. Switcheroo may seem appealing, but it actually sucks. When Crawdaunt loses its boosting item, it is very weak and it's nearly impossible to wall anyways so giving its item to a defensive Pokemon is not beneficial at all. If anything, its only utility is to stop defensive boosters such as Clefable and Suicune.

Checks & Counters
########

**Chesnaught and Mega Venusaur**: Physically defensive Mega Venusaur is the only Pokemon in OU that can truly claim to wall Crawdaunt. Chesnaught can potentially wall Crawdaunt however, it must only be wary of Aerial Ace. Even bulky Pokemon that resist Crawdaunt's dual STAB such as Azumarill can be 2HKOed, while purely physical walls face 2HKOs. Mega Gyarados can also wall Crawdaunt, however Superpower demolishes Gyarados should it already be evolved.

**Offensive Checks**: Crawdaunt is slow and has bad defenses. Nearly anything faster that doesn't keel over to Aqua Jet can easily check Crawdaunt. Keldeo, Dragonite, Heracross, and countless others are capable of this. Crawdaunt's ability to fight offense is very prediction-reliant, consistent targeting of Crawdaunt will ensure it can only really do damage with Aqua Jet to faster threats.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
252+ Atk Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Crabhammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 169-200 (50.5 - 59.8%) -- 85.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Crabhammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 234-278 (59.3 - 70.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Crabhammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 390-460 (55.3 - 65.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Crunch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Venusaur: 146-174 (40.1 - 47.8%) -- 51.6% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Crabhammer vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 562-665 (145.5 - 172.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Crabhammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 260-307 (65.9 - 77.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

So this thing kind of beats stall. Let's stress that, because goddamn.
Aqua jet is weak however it gives Crawdaunt some utility against faster teams letting it force out important frail members of the opposing team, creating opportunities to throw around Crabhammer or Knock Off.
Aqua Jet isn't weak, it's just weaker.

In Checks and Counters, I'd emphasize offensive pressure. Crawdaunt may be impossible to switch into, but if you don't let it get in safely, then it won't be a problem. This can go with the statement about how any faster Pokemon that doesn't mind Aqua Jet can check it.

Stamp.gif


QC 3/3
 

Aragorn the King

Literally a duck
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnus
Not a GP member or anything, but I have a few thoughts:
Crawdaunt's defenses are bad, simply bringing it on resisted moves is not a sufficiently safe tactic, only weak resisted moves can be comfortably absorbed and even they are unsafe as generally they have a nasty side effect, such as Heatran's Lava Plume or Mandibuzz's Knock Off.
The bold, italicized, and underlined text can all become separate sentences. However, you can use a semicolon to join two of them. Also, in the underlined text, there probably should be a comma after after "absorbed."
Crawdaunt is not hard to check for faster teams, unless its Aqua Jet will be needed later in the match, after scoring a kill it is better to just let Crawdaunt get KOedd than to switch it out and take heavy damage or give free set up as Crawdaunt's main job is to fight defensive teams.
It'd be better to start a sentence or add a semicolon after "the match" instead of a comma. Also, I don't think "KOedd" is the right spelling. I'm pretty sure it's KOed.
Chesnaught follows, it can easily wall Crawdaunt however Aerial Ace is viable.
Same here. Make a new sentence, add a semicolon, or add "as" after the comma.
MEga Gyarados can also wall Crawdaunt however Superpower demolishes Gyarados should it already be evolved.
The E shouldn't be capitalized in Mega. Also, there should be a comma after however.
Crawdaunt's ability to fight offense is very prediction reliant, consistent targeting of Crawdaunt will ensure it can only really do damage with Aqua Jet to faster threats.
Similar story here. Change the comma to a period or a semicolon, or add an "as" after it.
Lastly
heavily defensive teams Opponents who try to utilize recovery + toxic, recovery + rocky helmet, or leech seed + protect to stall out
I assume this was meant to be two sentences. There should be a period after teams. Also, all of the bolded letters should be capitalized, except for maybe toxic.

Hope this helped! :)
 
Last edited:
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Overview
########
From beneath the loamy sand and calm tides Crawdaunt arrives on the battlefield as a true powerhouse. Crawdaunt's Knock Off, Crabhammer, and Aqua jJet are truly exceptional. Coming from 120 base Attack, compounded with Adaptability, nearly nothing can stand up to this kind of power defensively, while priority lets it go to work against offense. Though Crawdaunt has little else beyond these virtues, and has numerous flaws including poor speed and defenses, if played smartly Crawdaunt will always pull its weight, and against the correct match up it will do far more.
Wallbreaker
########
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Crabhammer
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Crunch / Swords Dance
ability: Adaptability
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpdAtk / 252 AtkSpd
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Knock Off's strength and utility at once is what sets Crawdaunt apart from other wall breakers as it is the strongest user of the move. Not only are there a quite limited number of defensive Dark-type resists, almost all lose their item when struck with Knock Off rendering them much easier to beat. Crabhammer's power is also incredibly impressive. Achieving a 2HKO on max HP Azumarill with a resisted move is something else. Aqua jJet is weaker however it gives Crawdaunt some utility against faster teams, letting it force out important and frail members of the opposing team, creating opportunities to throw around Crabhammer or Knock Off. Having some priority on hand is always useful to teams too.(you say this many other times already)Crunch appears completely redundant with Knock Off however its superior power against Mega Pokemon allow Crawdaunt to break past the bulkiest ones such as Venusaur. Swords Dance on a such a slow and frail Pokemon is understandably questionable, however it is more of a punishment tool, or full stall smasher. It will only be successful if applied carefully against opponents, however when it is successful it bursts open the defensive dam for other team members to capitalize on. Finally, Superpower can be run in the final slot, though situational it lets Crawdaunt easily destroy Mega Gyarados who easily walls it otherwise.
Set Details
========
The EV spread is simple and optimal. Maximal aum Attack with an Adamant hits as hard as possible, with this Crawdaunt excels as a wall breaker. Maximal sSpeed with a neutral nature outspeeds up to uninvested base 86 Speed Pokemon, while Jolly can be used to get the drop on Jolly Mawile, Azumarill and slightly invested Rotom-W. Choice Band confers an insane amount of power to Crawdaunt, with it it easily 2HKOs even bulky resists. A Life Orb is an acceptable alternative to let Crawdaunt switch moves letting it finish off switch ins sufficiently weakened by Knock Off or Crabhammer. A Life Orb is the only appropriate item to use with Swords Dance.
Usage Tips
========
Crawdaunt's defenses are bad, simply bringing it on resisted moves is not a sufficiently safe tactic, only weak resisted moves can be comfortably absorbed and even they are unsafe as generally they have a nasty side effect, such as Heatran's Lava Plume or Mandibuzz's Knock Off. In general careful double switches, on the revenge, or switch advantage generated by U-turn or Volt Switch users are the best time to bring Crawdaunt in. Against defensive Pokemon you should outrun them, all the better if you can OHKO them so simply selecting your strongest attack will suffice. However against offensive teams Crawdaunt's application is a bit touchier. If it can not outspeed the opposition and OHKO it will be lost. Therefore only against Aqua Jet weak threats such as Landorus or Terrakion as well as slower threats whose priority you resist such as a weakened Mega Mawile should be checked with Crawdaunt. After that it is necessary to read the play and predict correctly, hitting an incoming Water-type resist with Aqua Jet is useless, however hitting that same water resist with Knock Off will most certainly sting. Try to apprisexamine how important what you threaten with Crawdaunt is and then predict accordingly. Crawdaunt is a wallbreaker first so itand should be played very aggressively against stall teams and i. If there is an opportunity to break through the opponent's defensive core, such that a win condition is in sight, then dont be afraid to let Crawdaunt die in the process. Swords Dance is challenging to use and will only really be successful against a heavily defensive teams. Opponents who try to utilize recovery + tToxic, recovery + rRocky hHelmet, or lLeech sSeed + pProtect to stall out Crawdaunt should be punished with Swords Dance. Do not be afraid of Unaware users as both are easily 2HKOed with the correct STAB. Crawdaunt is not hard to check for faster teams, unless its Aqua Jet will be needed later in the match, after scoring a kill it is better to just let Crawdaunt get KOedd than to switch it out and take heavy damage or give free set up as Crawdaunt's main job is to fight defensive teams.
Team Options
========
Crawdaunt is powerful, however, a few Pokemon can switch in and withstand its attacks, such as Azumarill if you predict incorrectly, Keldeo, and Chesnaught do exist t. Therefore good answers to these Pokemon are efficient alongside Crawdaunt. Mega Venusaur with Hidden Power Fire is a solid answer to all of these threats and with its Leech Seed immunity it makes Chesnaught easier to wear down. Ferrothorn is an answer to Azumarill and Latios is a good answer to both Keldeo and Chesnaught. As mentioned before pPivots will increase Crawdaunt's presence in a match greatly. Mega Manectric, and Choice Scarf Landorus-T excel against offensive teams, and can create a switch advantage for Crawdaunt quite easily.
Other Options
########
Dragon Dance is something in Crawdaunt's arsenal, however it is far too slow to take advantage of it. Crawdaunt is fast enough for defensive teams unboosted, and too slow for offensive teams when boosted,. Swords Dance is superior in nearly every way. Switcheroo may seem appealing, but Crawdaunt is better actualt simply sucksattacking. When Crawdaunt loses its boosting item it is very weak and its nearly impossible to wall anyways, so giving its item to a defensive pokemon is not beneficial at all. If anything its only utility is to stop defensive boosters such as Clefable and Suicune, but Crawdaunt should not be staying in on these anyway. Aerial Ace can be run for the sole purpose of sniping Chesnaught but has little use otherwise.
Checks & Counters
########
**Chesnaught and Mega Venusaur**: Physically defensive Mega Venusaur is the only Pokemon in OU that can truly claim to wall Crawdaunt. Chesnaught follows, it can easily wall Crawdaunt, but must watch out fowever Aerial Ace is viable. Even bulky resists to Crawdaunt's dual STAB such as Azumarill can be 2HKO'd while purely physical walls face 2HKOs. MEega Gyarados can also wall Crawdaunt however Superpower demolishes Gyarados should it already be evolved, but risks taking a Superpower.
**Offensive Checks**: Crawdaunt is slow and has bad defenses. Nearly anything faster that doesnt keel over to Aqua Jet can easily check Crawdaunt. Keldeo, Dragonite, Heracross, and countless others are capable of this. Crawdaunt's ability to fight offense is very prediction reliant, consistent targeting of Crawdaunt will ensure it can only really do damage with Aqua Jet to faster threats.


Overview
########

From beneath the loamy sand and calm tides Crawdaunt arrives on the battlefield as a true powerhouse. Crawdaunt's Knock Off, Crabhammer, and Aqua Jet are truly exceptional. Coming from 120 base Attack, compounded with Adaptability, nearly nothing can stand up to this kind of power defensively, while priority lets it go to work against offense. Though Crawdaunt has little else beyond these virtues, and has numerous flaws including poor speed and defenses, if played smartly Crawdaunt will always pull its weight, and against the correct match up it will do far more.

Wallbreaker
########
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Crabhammer
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Crunch / Swords Dance
ability: Adaptability
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Knock Off's strength and utility at once is what sets Crawdaunt apart from other wall breakers as it is the strongest user of the move. Not only are there a quite limited number of defensive Dark-type resists, almost all lose their item when struck with Knock Off rendering them much easier to beat. Crabhammer's power is also incredibly impressive. Achieving a 2HKO on max HP Azumarill with a resisted move is something else. Aqua Jet is weaker however it gives Crawdaunt some utility against faster teams, letting it force out important and frail members of the opposing team, creating opportunities to throw around Crabhammer or Knock Off. Crunch appears completely redundant with Knock Off however its superior power against Mega Pokemon allow Crawdaunt to break past the bulkiest ones such as Venusaur. Swords Dance on a such a slow and frail Pokemon is understandably questionable, however it is more of a punishment tool, or full stall smasher. It will only be successful if applied carefully against opponents, however when it is successful it bursts open the defensive dam for other team members to capitalize on. Finally, Superpower can be run in the final slot, though situational it lets Crawdaunt easily destroy Mega Gyarados who easily walls it otherwise.

Set Details
========

The EV spread is simple and optimal. Maximum Attack with an Adamant hits as hard as possible, with this Crawdaunt excels as a wall breaker. Maximal Speed with a neutral nature outspeeds up to uninvested base 86 Speed Pokemon, while Jolly can be used to get the drop on Jolly Mawile, Azumarill and slightly invested Rotom-W. Choice Band confers an insane amount of power to Crawdaunt, with it it easily 2HKOs even bulky resists. A Life Orb is an acceptable alternative to let Crawdaunt switch moves letting it finish off switch ins sufficiently weakened by Knock Off or Crabhammer. A Life Orb is the only appropriate item to use with Swords Dance.

Usage Tips
========

Crawdaunt's defenses are bad, simply bringing it on resisted moves is not a sufficiently safe tactic, only weak resisted moves can be comfortably absorbed and even they are unsafe as generally they have a nasty side effect, such as Heatran's Lava Plume or Mandibuzz's Knock Off. In general careful double switches, on the revenge, or switch advantage generated by U-turn or Volt Switch users are the best time to bring Crawdaunt in. Against defensive Pokemon you should outrun them, all the better if you can OHKO them so simply selecting your strongest attack will suffice. However against offensive teams Crawdaunt's application is a bit touchier. If it can not outspeed the opposition and OHKO it will be lost. Therefore only against Aqua Jet weak threats such as Landorus or Terrakion as well as slower threats whose priority you resist such as a weakened Mega Mawile should be checked with Crawdaunt. After that it is necessary to read the play and predict correctly, hitting an incoming Water-type resist with Aqua Jet is useless, however hitting that same water resist with Knock Off will most certainly sting. Try to examine how important what you threaten with Crawdaunt is and then predict accordingly. Crawdaunt is a wallbreaker first and should be played very aggressively against stall teams. If there is an opportunity to break through the opponent's defensive core, such that a win condition is in sight, then dont be afraid to let Crawdaunt die in the process. Swords Dance is challenging to use and will only really be successful against a heavily defensive team. Opponents who try to utilize recovery + Toxic, recovery + Rocky Helmet, or Leech Seed + Protect to stall out Crawdaunt should be punished with Swords Dance. Do not be afraid of Unaware users as both are easily 2HKOed with the correct STAB. Crawdaunt is not hard to check for faster teams, unless its Aqua Jet will be needed later in the match, after scoring a kill it is better to just let Crawdaunt get KOedd than to switch it out and take heavy damage or give free set up as Crawdaunt's main job is to fight defensive teams.

Team Options
========

Crawdaunt is powerful, however, a few Pokemon can switch in and withstand its attacks, such as Azumarill, Keldeo, and Chesnaught. Therefore good answers to these Pokemon are efficient alongside Crawdaunt. Mega Venusaur with Hidden Power Fire is a solid answer to all of these threats and its Leech Seed immunity makes Chesnaught easier to wear down. Ferrothorn is an answer to Azumarill and Latios is a good answer to both Keldeo and Chesnaught. Pivots will increase Crawdaunt's presence in a match greatly. Mega Manectric and Choice Scarf Landorus-T excel against offensive teams, and can create a switch advantage for Crawdaunt quite easily.


Other Options
########

Dragon Dance is something in Crawdaunt's arsenal, however it is far too slow to take advantage of it. Crawdaunt is fast enough for defensive teams unboosted, and too slow for offensive teams when boosted. Swords Dance is superior in nearly every way. Switcheroo may seem appealing, but Crawdaunt is better at simply attacking. When Crawdaunt loses its boosting item it is very weak, so giving its item to a defensive pokemon is not beneficial at all. If anything its only utility is to stop defensive boosters such as Clefable and Suicune, but Crawdaunt should not be staying in on these anyway. Aerial Ace can be run for the sole purpose of sniping Chesnaught but has little use otherwise.

Checks & Counters
########

**Chesnaught and Mega Venusaur**: Physically defensive Mega Venusaur is the only Pokemon in OU that can truly claim to wall Crawdaunt. Chesnaught follows, it can easily wall Crawdaunt, but must watch out for Aerial Ace. Even bulky resists to Crawdaunt's dual STAB such as Azumarill can be 2HKO'd while purely physical walls face 2HKOs. Mega Gyarados can also wall Crawdaunt, but risks taking a Superpower.

**Offensive Checks**: Crawdaunt is slow and has bad defenses. Nearly anything faster that doesnt keel over to Aqua Jet can easily check Crawdaunt. Keldeo, Dragonite, Heracross, and countless others are capable of this. Crawdaunt's ability to fight offense is very prediction reliant, consistent targeting of Crawdaunt will ensure it can only really do damage with Aqua Jet to faster threats.
 

Arkian

this is the state of grace
is a Contributor Alumnus
GP Check. I realize you haven't implemented dbzmariogeno's check yet, but I'm going incorporate his changes while adding some of my own in this check.

Overview
########

From beneath the loamy sand and calm tides,(AC) Crawdaunt arrives on the battlefield as a true powerhouse. Crawdaunt's Knock Off, Crabhammer, and Aqua jet Jet are truly exceptional. Coming from a base 120 base Attack stat compounded with Adaptability,(AC) nearly nothing can stand up to this kind of power defensively, while priority lets it go to work against offense (tbh, the writing here seems really choppy, so I recommend rewording this sentence to this: "Coming off of a base 120 Attack stat, nothing can stand up to Crawdaunt's Adaptability-boosted Knock Off or Crabhammer defensively, while offensive Pokemon are picked off by priority Aqua Jet."). Though However, Crawdaunt has little else beyond these virtues, and has numerous flaws including poor speed Speed and defenses,(RC).(AP) if If played smartly,(AC) Crawdaunt will always pull its weight, and against the correct match up,(AC) it will do far more.

Wallbreaker
########
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Crabhammer
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Crunch / Swords Dance
ability: Adaptability
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Spd Atk / 252 Atk Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Knock Off's combination of strength and utility at once is what sets Crawdaunt apart from other wall(remove space)breakers,(AC) as it is the strongest user of the move. Not only are there a quite limited number of few defensive Dark-type resists, almost all lose their item when struck with Knock Off,(AC) rendering them much easier to beat. Crabhammer's power is also incredibly impressive.(RP),(AC) Achieving achieving a 2HKO on even resists like max HP Azumarill with a resisted move is something else. Aqua jet Jet is weaker,(AC) however but it gives Crawdaunt some utility against faster teams,(AC) letting it force out important and frail members of the opposing team, creating opportunities to throw around Crabhammer or Knock Off. Having some priority on hand is always useful to teams too. While Crunch appears completely redundant with Knock Off,(AC) however its superior power against Mega Pokemon allow Crawdaunt to break past the bulkiest ones such as Venusaur. Swords Dance on a such a slow and frail Pokemon is understandably questionable,(AC) however it is more of a punishment tool, or full stall smasher but it makes Crawdaunt a fearsome stallbreaker. It will only be successful if applied carefully against opponents,(RC);(semi) however when it is successful though, it bursts open the defensive dam for other team members to capitalize on. Finally, Superpower can be run in the final slot, though situational,(AC) it lets Crawdaunt easily destroy Mega Gyarados,(AC) who easily which walls it otherwise.

Set Details
========

The EV spread is simple and optimal. Maximal attack Attack with an Adamant hits as hard as possible, with this letting Crawdaunt excels excel as a wall breaker wallbreaker. Maximal speed Speed with a neutral nature outspeeds up to uninvested base 86 Speed Pokemon, while Jolly can be used to get the drop on Jolly Mawile, Azumarill,(AC) and slightly invested Rotom-W. Choice Band confers an insane amount of power to Crawdaunt, with it,(AC) it easily 2HKOs 2HKOes even bulky resists. A Life Orb is an acceptable alternative to let Crawdaunt switch moves,(AC) letting it finish off switch ins switch-ins sufficiently weakened by Knock Off or Crabhammer. A Life Orb is the only appropriate item to use with Swords Dance.

Usage Tips
========

Crawdaunt's defenses are bad, simply bringing it on resisted moves is not a sufficiently safe tactic, only weak resisted moves can be comfortably absorbed and even they are unsafe as generally they have a nasty side effect, such as Heatran's Lava Plume or Mandibuzz's Knock Off. In general,(AC) careful double switches, on the revenge, or switch advantage generated by U-turn or Volt Switch users are the best time to bring Crawdaunt in. Against defensive Pokemon you should outrun them, all the better if you can OHKO them so simply selecting your strongest attack will suffice Crawdaunt outspeeds most defensive Pokemon, which is really useful if it can OHKO them by selecting its strongest move. However against Against offensive teams,(AC) Crawdaunt's application is a bit touchier. If it can not outspeed the opposition and OHKO,(AC) it will be lost. Therefore,(AC) only against Aqua Jet weak Aqua Jet-weak threats such as Landorus or Terrakion as well as slower threats whose priority you resist such as a weakened Mega Mawile should be checked with Crawdaunt. After that,(AC) it is necessary to read the play and predict correctly, hitting an incoming Water-type resist with Aqua Jet is useless, however,(AC) hitting that same water Water resist with Knock Off will most certainly sting. Try to apprise how important what you threaten with Crawdaunt is and then predict accordingly. Crawdaunt is a wallbreaker first,(AC) so it should be played very aggressively against stall teams,(AC) and if the opportunity to break through the opponent's defensive core comes, such that a win condition is in sight,(AC) then dont don't be afraid to let Crawdaunt die in the process. Swords Dance is challenging to use and will only really be successful against a heavily defensive teams Opponents teams's opponents, who try to utilize recovery + toxic Toxic, recovery + rocky helmet Rocky Helmet, or leech seed Leech Seed + protect Protect to stall out Crawdaunt should be punished with Swords Dance. Do not be afraid of Unaware users,(AC) as both are easily 2HKOed with the correct STAB. Crawdaunt is not hard to check for faster teams, unless its Aqua Jet will be needed later in the match, after scoring a kill it is better to just let Crawdaunt get KOedd KOed than to switch it out and take heavy damage or give free set up as Crawdaunt's main job is to fight defensive teams.

Team Options
========

Crawdaunt is powerful,(AC) however,(AC) a few switch ins switch-ins such as Azumarill if you predict incorrectly, Keldeo,(AC) and Chesnaught do exist,(AC) therefore,(AC) good answers to these Pokemon are efficient alongside Crawdaunt. Mega Venusaur with Hidden Power Fire is a solid answer to all of these threats,(AC) and with its Leech Seed immunity,(AC) it makes Chesnaught easier to wear down. Ferrothorn is an answer to Azumarill and Latios is a good answer to both Keldeo and Chesnaught. As mentioned before,(AC) pivots will increase Crawdaunt's presence in a match greatly. Mega Manectric,(RC) and Choice Scarf Landorus-T excel against offensive teams, and can create switch advantage for Crawdaunt quite easily.


Other Options
########

Dragon Dance is something in Crawdaunt's arsenal,(AC) however,(AC) it Crawdaunt is far too slow to take advantage of it. Crawdaunt is fast enough for defensive teams unboosted, and too slow for offensive teams when boosted, Swords Dance is superior in nearly every way. Switcheroo may seem appealing, but it actually sucks. When Crawdaunt loses its boosting item,(AC) it is very weak and its it's nearly impossible to wall anyways,(AC) so giving its item to a defensive pokemon Pokemon is not beneficial at all. If anything,(AC) its only utility is to stop defensive boosters such as Clefable and Suicune. Aerial Ace can be run for the sole purpose of sniping Chesnaught,(AC) but has little use otherwise.

Checks & Counters
########

**Chesnaught and Mega Venusaur**: Physically defensive Mega Venusaur is the only Pokemon in OU that can truly claim to wall Crawdaunt. Chesnaught follows, it can easily wall Crawdaunt,(AC) however Aerial Ace is viable but it needs to wary of Aerial Ace. Even bulky resists to Crawdaunt's dual STAB such as Azumarill can be 2HKO'd 2HKOed,(AC) while purely physical walls face 2HKOs. MEga Mega Gyarados can also wall Crawdaunt,(AC) however Superpower demolishes Gyarados should it already be evolved.

**Offensive Checks**: Crawdaunt is slow and has bad defenses. Nearly anything faster that doesnt doesn't keel over to Aqua Jet can easily check Crawdaunt. Keldeo, Dragonite, Heracross, and countless others are capable of this. Crawdaunt's ability to fight offense is very prediction reliant, consistent targeting of Crawdaunt will ensure it can only really do damage with Aqua Jet to faster threats.
Done! There were quite a few subjective changes, so if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me Ash Borer.

GP Approved 1/2
 

Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell
implemented most, this is ready for the second check. If there's specific things you want me to change Rohail I will comply.
 

tehy

Banned deucer.
another amcheck

Overview
########

From beneath the loamy sand and calm tides, Crawdaunt arrives on the battlefield as a true powerhouse. Crawdaunt's Knock Off, Crabhammer, and Aqua Jet are truly exceptional. Coming from a base 120 Attack stat compounded with Adaptability, nearly nothing can stand up to this kind of power defensively. However, Crawdaunt has little else beyond these virtues, and, has numerous flaws, including poor Speed that is only mildly mitigated withby Aqua Jet, and poor defenses. If played smartly, Crawdaunt will always pull its weight, and against the correct match up, it will do far more.

Wallbreaker
########
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Crabhammer
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Crunch / Swords Dance
ability: Adaptability
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 Atk
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Knock Off's strength and utility at oncre is what sets Crawdaunt apart from other wallbreakers, as it is the strongest user of the move. Not only are there few defensive Dark-type resists, almost all of them lose their item when struck with Knock Off, rendering them much easier to beat. Crabhammer's power is also incredibly impressive; achieving a 2HKO on max HP Azumarill with a resisted move is something else. Aqua Jet is weaker, but it gives Crawdaunt some utility against faster teams, letting it force out important and frail members of the opposing team, creating opportunities to throw around Crabhammer or Knock Off. Beyond pressuring frail pPokemon, Aqua Jet provides revenge killing utility against dangerous threats such as a weakened Mega Tyranitar. While Crunch appears completely redundant with Knock Off, its superior power against Mega Pokemon allows Crawdaunt to break past the bulkiest ones, such as Venusaur. Swords Dance on a such a slow and frail Pokemon is understandably questionable, but it makes Crawdaunt an evern more fearsome stallbreaker. It will only be successful if applied carefully against opponents; when it is successful though it bursts open the proverbial dam of defenses for other team members to capitalize on. Aerial Ace can be run for the sole purpose of sniping Chesnaught, but has little use otherwise. Finally, Superpower can be run in the final slot, though situational, it lets Crawdaunt easily destroy Mega Gyarados, which walls it otherwise.

Set Details
========

The EV spread is simple and optimal. Maximalum Attack with an Adamant hits as hard as possible, letting Crawdaunt excel as a wallbreaker. Maximalum Speed with a neutral nature outspeeds up to uninvested base 86 Speed Pokemon, while Jolly can be used to get the drop on Jolly Mawile, Azumarill, and slightly invested Rotom-W. Choice Band confers an insane amount of power to Crawdaunt, with itletting it easily 2HKOes even bulky resists. A Life Orb is an acceptable alternative to allow Crawdaunt to switch moves, letting it finish off switch-ins sufficiently weakened by Knock Off or Crabhammer. A Life Orb is the only appropriate item to use with Swords Dance.

Usage Tips
========

Crawdaunt's defenses are bad, so simply bringing it on resisted moves is not a sufficiently safe tactic,; only weak resisted moves can be comfortably absorbed and even they armay be unsafe as generally they have a nasty side effect, such as Heatran's Lava Plume or Mandibuzz's Knock Off. In general, careful double switches, on the revengeafter-death switch-ins, or switch advantage generated by U-turn or Volt Switch users are the best time to bring Crawdaunt in. Crawdaunt outspeeds most defensive Pokemon, and OHKOs many, so simply select powerful STABs against them and watch as massive damage is dealt. Against offensive teams, Crawdaunt's application is a bit touchiermore complex. If it can not outspeed the opposition and OHKO, it will be lost. Therefore, only Aqua Jet-weak threats such as Landorus or Terrakion, as well as slower threats whose priority you resist, such as a weakened Mega Mawile, should be checked with Crawdaunt. After that, it is necessary to read the play and predict correctly, as hitting an incoming Water-type resist with Aqua Jet is useless, howeverbut hitting that same Water resist with Knock Off will most certainly sting. Try to appraise how important what you threaten with Crawdaunt is and then predict accordingly. Crawdaunt is a wallbreaker first, so it should be played very aggressively against stall teams, and if the opportunity to break through the opponent's defensive core comes, such that a win condition is in sight, don't be afraid to let Crawdaunt go down in the process. Swords Dance is challenging to use and will only really be successful against heavily defensive teams who try to utilize recovery + Toxic, recovery + Rocky Helmet, or Leech seed + Protect to stall out Crawdaunt. Should the opponent attempt these kinds of tactics, simply set up in their face and they will have a real problem on their hands. Do not be afraid of Unaware users, as both are easily 2HKOed with the correct STAB. Crawdaunt is not hard to check for faster teams, unless its Aqua Jet will be needed later in the match, so after scoring a kill it is better to just let Crawdaunt get KOed than to switch it out and take heavy damage or give free set up as Crawdaunt's main job is to fight defensive teams.

Team Options
========

Crawdaunt is powerful, however, a few switch-ins such as Keldeo and Chesnaught do exist; therefore, good answers to these Pokemon are efficientgood to have alongside Crawdaunt. Mega Venusaur with Hidden Power Fire is a solid answer to all of these threats, and with its Leech Seed immunity it makes Chesnaught easier to wear down. Ferrothorn is an answer to Azumarill, and Latios is a good answer to both Keldeo and Chesnaught. As mentioned before, pivots will increase Crawdaunt's presence in a match greatly. Mega Manectric and Choice Scarf Landorus-T excel against offensive teams, and can create switch advantage for Crawdaunt quite easily.


Other Options
########

Dragon Dance is something in Crawdaunt's arsenal, however, it is far too slow to take advantage of it. Crawdaunt is fast enough for defensive teams unboosted, and too slow for offensive teams when boosted, so Swords Dance is superior in nearly every way. Switcheroo may seem appealing, but it actually sucks. When Crawdaunt loses its boosting item, it is very weak, and it's nearly impossible to wall anyways, so giving its item to a defensive Pokemon is not beneficial at all. If anything, its only utility is to stop defensive boosters such as Clefable and Suicune.

Checks & Counters
########

**Chesnaught and Mega Venusaur**: Physically defensive Mega Venusaur is the only Pokemon in OU that can truly claim to wall Crawdaunt. Chesnaught follows, it can easily wall Crawdaunt however, ibut must be very wary of Aerial Ace. Even bulky resists to Crawdaunt's dual STAB, such as Azumarill, can be 2HKOed, while purely physical walls face 2HKOs. Mega Gyarados can also wall Crawdaunt, however, Superpower demolishes Gyarados should it already be evolved.

**Offensive Checks**: Crawdaunt is slow and has bad defenses. Nearly anything faster that doesn't keel over to Aqua Jet can easily check Crawdaunt. Keldeo, Dragonite, Heracross, and countless others are capable of this. Crawdaunt's ability to fight offense is very prediction reliant, consistent targeting of Crawdaunt will ensure it can only really do damage with Aqua Jet to faster threats.
 

Srn

Water (Spirytus - 96%)
is an official Team Rateris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributor
OUPL Champion
Mention taht superpower hits ferrothorn too, I'd say.
You could also mention in OO to run some special moves like ice beam, 90 base sp. att isn't bad at all. Definitely your regular switch-ins off guard.
This is largely for surprise tho, no need to really mention it.
 

AccidentalGreed

Sweet and bitter as chocolate.
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Ash Borer It might be worth noting in the Set Details that Adaptability is the ONLY viable ability on the set, and there should be a small sentence why that is.
 

GatoDelFuego

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Ash Borer

REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

Overview
########

From beneath the loamy sand and calm tides, Crawdaunt arrives on the battlefield as a true powerhouse. Crawdaunt's Knock Off, Crabhammer, and Aqua Jet are truly exceptional. Coming from a base 120 Attack stat compounded with Adaptability, nearly nothing can stand up to this kind of power defensively. However, Crawdaunt has little else beyond these virtues, and, has numerous flaws, including poor Speed that is only mildly mitigated withby Aqua Jet, and poor defenses. If played smartly, Crawdaunt will always pull its weight, and against the correct matchup, it will do far more.

Wallbreaker
########
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Crabhammer
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Crunch / Swords Dance
ability: Adaptability
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 Atk
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Knock Off's strength and utility at oncre is what sets Crawdaunt apart from other wallbreakers, as it is the strongest user of the move. Not only are there few defensive Pokemon that resist the Dark-type resists, but almost all of them lose their item when struck with Knock Off, rendering them much easier to beat. Crabhammer's power is also incredibly impressive; achieving a 2HKO on max HP Azumarill with a resisted move is something else. Aqua Jet is weaker, but it gives Crawdaunt some utility against faster teams, letting it force out important and frail members of the opposing team, creating opportunities to throw around Crabhammer or Knock Off. Beyond pressuring frail pPokemon, Aqua Jet provides revenge killing utility against dangerous threats such as a weakened Mega Tyranitar. While Crunch appears completely redundant with Knock Off, its superior power against Mega Pokemon allows Crawdaunt to break past the bulkiest ones, such as Venusaur. Swords Dance on a such a slow and frail Pokemon is understandably questionable, but it makes Crawdaunt an evern more fearsome stallbreaker. It will only be successful if applied carefully against opponents, (comma) but when it is successful though it bursts open the proverbial dam of defenses for other team members to capitalize on. Aerial Ace can be run for the sole purpose of sniping Chesnaught, but has little use otherwise. Finally, Superpower can be run in the final slot. (period) Though situational, it lets Crawdaunt easily destroy Mega Gyarados, which walls it otherwise.

Set Details
========

The EV spread is simple and optimal. Maximalum Attack with an Adamant nature hits as hard as possible, letting Crawdaunt excel as a wallbreaker. Maximalum Speed with a neutral nature outspeeds up to uninvested base 86 Speed Pokemon, while Jolly can be used to get the drop on Jolly Mawile, Azumarill, and slightly invested Rotom-W. Choice Band confers an insane amount of power to Crawdaunt, with itletting it easily 2HKOes even bulky Pokemon that resist its STAB resists. A Life Orb is an acceptable alternative to allow Crawdaunt to switch moves, letting it finish off switch-ins sufficiently weakened by Knock Off or Crabhammer. A Life Orb is the only appropriate item to use with Swords Dance.

Usage Tips
========

Crawdaunt's defenses are bad, so simply bringing it on resisted moves is not a sufficiently safe tactic,; only weak resisted moves can be comfortably absorbed and even they armay might be unsafe as generally they have a nasty side effect, such as Heatran's Lava Plume or Mandibuzz's Knock Off. In general, careful double switches, on the revengeafter-death switch-ins, or switch advantage generated by U-turn or Volt Switch users are the best time to bring Crawdaunt in. Crawdaunt outspeeds most defensive Pokemon, (RC) and OHKOes many, so simply select powerful STABs against them and watch as massive damage is dealt. Against offensive teams, Crawdaunt's application is a bit touchiermore complex. If it can not outspeed the opposition and OHKO, it will be lost. Therefore, only Aqua Jet-weak threats such as Landorus or Terrakion, as well as slower threats whose priority you Crawdaunt resists, such as a weakened Mega Mawile, should be checked with Crawdaunt. After that, it is necessary to read the play and predict correctly, as hitting an incoming Water-type resistance resist with Aqua Jet is useless, howeverbut hitting that same Water resist opponent with Knock Off will most certainly sting. Try to appraise how important what you threaten with Crawdaunt is and then predict accordingly. Crawdaunt is a wallbreaker first, so it should be played very aggressively against stall teams, and if the opportunity to break through the opponent's defensive core comes, (RC) such that a win condition is in sight, don't be afraid to let Crawdaunt go down in the process. Swords Dance is challenging to use and will only really be successful against heavily defensive teams who that try to utilize recovery + Toxic, recovery + Rocky Helmet, or Leech seed + Protect to stall out Crawdaunt. Should the opponent attempt these kinds of tactics, simply set up in their face and they will have a real problem on their hands. Do not be afraid of Unaware users, as both are easily 2HKOed with the correct STAB. Crawdaunt is not hard to check for faster teams, (RC) unless its Aqua Jet will be needed later in the match, so after scoring a kill KO it is better to just let Crawdaunt get KOed than to switch it out and take heavy damage or give free setup as Crawdaunt's main job is to fight defensive teams.

Team Options
========

Crawdaunt is powerful, however, (RC) a few switch-ins such as Keldeo and Chesnaught do exist; therefore, good answers to these Pokemon are efficientgood to have alongside Crawdaunt. Mega Venusaur with Hidden Power Fire is a solid answer to all of these threats, and with its Leech Seed immunity it makes Chesnaught easier to wear down. Ferrothorn is an answer to Azumarill, and Latios is a good answer to both Keldeo and Chesnaught. As mentioned before, pivots will increase Crawdaunt's presence in a match greatly. Mega Manectric and Choice Scarf Landorus-T excel against offensive teams, (RC) and can create switch advantage for Crawdaunt quite easily.


Other Options
########

Dragon Dance is something in Crawdaunt's arsenal, however, (RC) it is far too slow to take advantage of it. Crawdaunt is fast enough for defensive teams unboosted, and too slow for offensive teams when boosted, so Swords Dance is superior in nearly every way. Switcheroo may seem appealing, but it actually sucks. When Crawdaunt loses its boosting item, it is very weak, and it's nearly impossible to wall anyways, so giving its item to a defensive Pokemon is not beneficial at all. If anything, its only utility is to stop defensive boosters such as Clefable and Suicune.

Checks & Counters
########

**Chesnaught and Mega Venusaur**: Physically defensive Mega Venusaur is the only Pokemon in OU that can truly claim to wall Crawdaunt. Chesnaught follows, it can easily wall Crawdaunt however, ibut must be very wary of Aerial Ace. Even bulky resists Pokemon that resist to Crawdaunt's dual STAB, such as Azumarill, can be 2HKOed, while purely physical walls face 2HKOs. Mega Gyarados can also wall Crawdaunt, however, (RC) Superpower demolishes Gyarados should it already be evolved.

**Offensive Checks**: Crawdaunt is slow and has bad defenses. Nearly anything faster that doesn't keel over to Aqua Jet can easily check Crawdaunt. Keldeo, Dragonite, Heracross, and countless others are capable of this. Crawdaunt's ability to fight offense is very prediction-reliant, consistent targeting of Crawdaunt will ensure it can only really do damage with Aqua Jet to faster threats.

tehy good work here, you've come a long way since I first saw your checks. Just be aware that "resists" isn't a noun.

2/2
 
Last edited:

Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell
GatoDelFuego

done, mate. I implemented everything except one change. YOu changed "on the revenge" to "after death". I thought that "death" and "kill" were not supposed to be used in analyses as technically Pokemon faint, they aren't killed. This being said "revenge killer" is an accepted term and is what "one the revenge" was predicated on when I wrote that..

Do you want me to just put in "after death" or think of something new to put there?
 

GatoDelFuego

The Antimonymph of the Internet
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
GatoDelFuego

done, mate. I implemented everything except one change. YOu changed "on the revenge" to "after death". I thought that "death" and "kill" were not supposed to be used in analyses as technically Pokemon faint, they aren't killed. This being said "revenge killer" is an accepted term and is what "one the revenge" was predicated on when I wrote that..

Do you want me to just put in "after death" or think of something new to put there?
Yes, I wanted to replace "on the revenge" to something...replace "after death" with "clean" so it reads "clean switch-ins"
 
I know that this is completed, but I found a few errors/things that could be changed for the better, so I thought I might fix them.

Overview
########

From beneath the loamy sand and calm tides, Crawdaunt arrives on the battlefield as a true powerhouse. Crawdaunt's Knock Off, Crabhammer, and Aqua Jet are truly exceptional. Coming from a base 120 Attack stat compounded with Adaptability, nearly nothing can stand up to this kind of power. However, Crawdaunt has little else beyond these virtues and,(Remove Comma) has numerous flaws, including poor a Speed stat that is only mildly mitigated by Aqua Jet, and poor defenses. If played smartly, Crawdaunt will always pull its weight, and against the correct matchup, it will do far more.

Wallbreaker
########
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Crabhammer
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Crunch / Swords Dance
ability: Adaptability
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Spd Atk / 252 Atk Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Knock Off's strength and utility are what sets Crawdaunt apart from other wallbreakers,(AC) as it is the strongest user of the move. Not only are there few defensive Pokemon that resist the Dark-type, but almost all of them lose their item when struck with Knock Off, rendering them much easier to beat. Crabhammer's power is also incredibly impressive; achieving a 2HKO on max HP Azumarill with a resisted move is something else. Aqua Jet is weaker, but it gives Crawdaunt some utility against faster teams, letting it force out important and frail members of the opposing team, creating opportunities to throw around Crabhammer or Knock Off. Beyond pressuring frail Pokemon, Aqua Jet provides revenge killing utility against dangerous threats such as a weakened Mega Tyranitar. While Crunch appears completely redundant with Knock Off, its superior power against Mega Pokemon allows Crawdaunt to break past the bulkiest ones, such as Mega Venusaur. Swords Dance on a such a slow and frail Pokemon is understandably questionable, but it makes Crawdaunt an even more fearsome stallbreaker. It will only be successful if applied carefully against opponents, but when it is successful it bursts open the proverbial dam of defenses for other team members to capitalize on. Aerial Ace can be run for the sole purpose of sniping Chesnaught, but has little use otherwise. Finally, Superpower can be run in the final slot. Though situational, it lets Crawdaunt easily destroy Mega Gyarados, which walls it otherwise.

Set Details
========

The power increase granted by Adaptability's power increase makes it by far the most useful ability Crawdaunt has. The EV spread is simple and optimal. Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature hits as hard as possible, letting Crawdaunt excel as a wallbreaker. Maximum Speed investment with a neutral nature allows Crawdaunt to outspeeds up to uninvested base 86 Speed Pokemon, while Jolly can be used to get the drop on Jolly Mawile, Azumarill, and slightly invested Rotom-W. Choice Band confers an insane amount of power to Crawdaunt, letting it easily 2HKO even bulky Pokemon that resist its STAB. A Life Orb is an acceptable alternative to allow Crawdaunt to switch moves, letting it finish off switch-ins sufficiently weakened by Knock Off or Crabhammer. Also,(AC) Life Orb is the only appropriate item to use with Swords Dance.

Usage Tips
========

Crawdaunt's defenses are bad, so simply bringing it on resisted moves is not a sufficiently safe tactic; only weak resisted moves can be comfortably absorbed and even they might be unsafe as generally they have a nasty side effect, such as Heatran's Lava Plume or Mandibuzz's Knock Off. In general, careful double switches, clean switch-ins, or switch advantage generated by U-turn or Volt Switch users are the best time to bring Crawdaunt in. Crawdaunt outspeeds most defensive Pokemon and OHKOes many, so simply select powerful STABs against them and watch as massive damage is dealt. Against offensive teams, Crawdaunt's application is a bit more complex. If it can not outspeed the opposition and OHKO them, it will be lost. Therefore, only threats that are weak to Aqua Jet-weak threats such as Landorus or Terrakion,(AC) as well as slower threats whose priority Crawdaunt resists, such as a weakened Mega Mawile, should be checked with Crawdaunt. After that, it is necessary to read the play and predict correctly, as hitting an incoming Water-type resistance resist with Aqua Jet is useless, but hitting that same opponent with Knock Off will most certainly sting. Try to appraise how important what you threaten with Crawdaunt is and then predict accordingly. Crawdaunt is a wallbreaker first, so it should be played very aggressively against stall teams, and if the opportunity to break through the opponent's defensive core comes such that a win condition is in sight, don't be afraid to let Crawdaunt go down in the process. Swords Dance is challenging to use and will only really be successful against heavily defensive teams that try to utilize recovery + Toxic, recovery + Rocky Helmet, or Leech seed + Protect to stall out Crawdaunt. Should the opponent attempt these kinds of tactics, simply set up in their face and they will have a real problem on their hands. Do not be afraid of Unaware users as both common Pokemon with the ability are easily 2HKOed with the correct STAB. Crawdaunt is not hard to check for faster teams unless its Aqua Jet will be needed later in the match, so after scoring a KO it is better to just let Crawdaunt get KOed than to switch it out and take heavy damage or give free setup as Crawdaunt's main job is to fight defensive teams.

Team Options
========

Although Crawdaunt is powerful however, a few switch-ins such as Keldeo and Chesnaught do exist; good answers to these Pokemon are good to have alongside Crawdaunt. Mega Venusaur with Hidden Power Fire is a solid answer to all of these threats, and with its Leech Seed immunity it makes Chesnaught easier to wear down. Ferrothorn is an answer to Azumarill, and Latios is a good answer to both Keldeo and Chesnaught. As mentioned before, pivots will increase Crawdaunt's presence in a match greatly. Mega Manectric and Choice Scarf Landorus-T excel against offensive teams and can create switch advantage for Crawdaunt quite easily.


Other Options
########

Dragon Dance is something in Crawdaunt's arsenal, but Crawdaunt is fast enough for defensive teams unboosted, and too slow for offensive teams when boosted, and Swords Dance is superior in nearly every way. Switcheroo may seem appealing, but it actually sucks. When Crawdaunt loses its boosting item, it is very weak,(AC) and it's nearly impossible to wall anyways so giving its item to a defensive Pokemon is not beneficial at all. If anything, its only utility is to stop defensive boosters such as Clefable and Suicune.

Checks & Counters
########

**Chesnaught and Mega Venusaur**: Physically defensive Mega Venusaur is the only Pokemon in OU that can truly claim to wall Crawdaunt. Chesnaught can potentially wall Crawdaunt;(Add semicolon) however, it must only be wary of Aerial Ace. Even bulky Pokemon that resist Crawdaunt's dual STAB combination such as Azumarill can be 2HKOed, while purely physical walls face 2HKOs as well(I assume that this is what you meant). Mega Gyarados can also wall Crawdaunt,;(Remove Comma)(Add semicolon) however Superpower demolishes Gyarados it should it already be Mega-eEvolved.

**Offensive Checks**: Crawdaunt is slow and has bad defenses. As a result,(AC) Nnearly anything faster that doesn't keel over to Aqua Jet can easily check Crawdaunt. Keldeo, Dragonite, Heracross, and countless others are capable of this. Crawdaunt's ability to fight offense is very prediction-reliant,;(Remove Comma)(Add semicolon) consistent targeting of Crawdaunt will ensure it can only really do damage with Aqua Jet to faster threats.
 

Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell
most of these changes are trivial and superfluous. I know swoobat has unaware but the readers don't care.
 

Aragorn the King

Literally a duck
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnus
most of these changes are trivial and superfluous. I know swoobat has unaware but the readers don't care.
I agree, however the changes for EV's are correct and probably necessary.

EDIT: Also:
Swords Dance is challenging to use and will only really be successful against heavily defensive teams that try to utilize recovery + Toxic, recovery + Rocky Helmet, or Leech seed + Protect to stall out Crawdaunt.
Seed needs to be capitalized :)
 
My apologies; I was only trying to help, but I seem to have gotten carried away on "fixing" something that had four errors total: the EVs, the Leech Seed typo brought up in the above post, this:
Swords Dance on a such a slow and frail Pokemon is understandably questionable, but it makes Crawdaunt an even more fearsome stallbreaker.
and this:
After that, it is necessary to read the play and predict correctly, as hitting an incoming Water-type resistance resist (Only one of these is needed)with Aqua Jet is useless, but hitting that same opponent with Knock Off will most certainly sting.
 
To be honest, I feel like CB should be moved to OO. I understand the lack of recoil damage and less power, but Crawdaunt already hits ridiculously hard with Adapdability. A 20% boost is nothing with the raw power it possesses. Being able to switch moves is why Crawdaunt is so powerful because you can switch to Knock Off when something resists Crabhammer, but with Choice Band, you have to switch out. Not to mention the fact that Swords Dance Crawdaunt demolishes stall teams, while Choice band Crawdaunt needs to switch in every time so it can pummel things like Mega Venusaur. Begin able to kill things with a knock Off / Crabhammer + Aqua Jet combo is p. ridiculous too. C'mon Cb crawdaunt isn't worth it. Being able to switch moves and destroy stall with SD completely makes it the superior option to CB.
 

Aragorn the King

Literally a duck
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnus
To be honest, I feel like CB should be moved to OO. I understand the lack of recoil damage and less power, but Crawdaunt already hits ridiculously hard with Adapdability. A 20% boost is nothing with the raw power it possesses. Being able to switch moves is why Crawdaunt is so powerful because you can switch to Knock Off when something resists Crabhammer, but with Choice Band, you have to switch out. Not to mention the fact that Swords Dance Crawdaunt demolishes stall teams, while Choice band Crawdaunt needs to switch in every time so it can pummel things like Mega Venusaur. Begin able to kill things with a knock Off / Crabhammer + Aqua Jet combo is p. ridiculous too. C'mon Cb crawdaunt isn't worth it. Being able to switch moves and destroy stall with SD completely makes it the superior option to CB.
I agree. I recently made the change to Life Orb, and I'm glad I did. By nature of the Band, I often had to choose whether to annihilate a switch in with Knock Off, and then be bait for fast Pokemon, or use Aqua Jet and easily get walled. With Life Orb, you can annihilate switch ins with its super strong STABs while still being able to pick off weakened threats that outspeed you with Aqua Jet. There's only a ≈ 13.5% change in damage, and I think it's worth the ability to change moves.
 

Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell
band jet gets an ohko on lando and terrakion, whereas life orb does not. band crunch gets the 2hko on venu. band crabhammer gets the 2hko on azumarill.

Band also makes the most of the little room you have to breathe against offense, and gets some key hits. It is worth it.
 

Aragorn the King

Literally a duck
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnus
band jet gets an ohko on lando and terrakion, whereas life orb does not. band crunch gets the 2hko on venu. band crabhammer gets the 2hko on azumarill.

Band also makes the most of the little room you have to breathe against offense, and gets some key hits. It is worth it.
Is is worth the main slash though?
 

Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell
I've changed the order, it shouldnt change a thing in the analysis because it was worded to have both items equal in value.
 
It's worth noting that Crawdaunt has a limited amount of switch-ins. It's either coming in on something that it outspeeds and is about to destroy with a Knock Off or Crabhammer, after which the opponent will send out something that forces it out, or it's coming in for free on something like Landorus, threatening to KO it with Aqua Jet. In most cases, because of its low Speed and bulk, Crawdaunt is staying in for 1 turn and firing off 1 attack before the opponent checks it. It's better to be as strong as you can, then.

That being said, a major draw of Crawdaunt is its ability to bend over a lot of stall teams and do what it likes to them. It does need to be able to switch between Knock Off and Crabhammer when that's the case. Both items have considerable merit.
 

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