QC: Carbonific / blarajan
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
* As one of the few viable Intimidate users legal in VGC 2017, and the only one that resists Rock-type attacks, Krookodile finds use on teams that need both an Intimidate user and a Rock resistance in one Pokemon.
* It also has access to other support options like Snarl, Taunt, Bulldoze, Low Sweep, Roar, and Dragon Tail, giving it plenty of ways to support its team beyond Intimidate.
* Krookodile is capable of running either a bulky set or an all-out offensive set.
* However, Krookodile has many weaknesses, which make it vulnerable to Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini, Tapu Lele, Araquanid, and Kartana.
* Furthermore, Krookodile has a tough time competing with Garchomp if the role compression it offers is not needed. If Intimidate is not needed, use Garchomp instead.
[SET]
name: Tectonic Rage
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Taunt / Roar
move 4: Protect
item: Groundium Z
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 52 HP / 156 Atk / 44 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Tectonic Rage allows Krookodile to pick up OHKOs on Torkoal and Alolan Muk, which it isn't able to do with Earthquake, and in general gives it a powerful one-time attack that avoids hitting its teammate and circumvents Wide Guard.
* Earthquake is necessary, and not just because it gives Krookodile the strongest possible Tectonic Rage; it's a generally powerful spread move that also can be used when it is not ideal to go for Tectonic Rage.
* Crunch allows Krookodile to hit Gengar and Alolan Marowak without having to worry about Wide Guard and without having to waste Tectonic Rage.
* Taunt is also a great move on Krookodile, enabling it to stop Trick Room from going up, stop the opponent from using Wide Guard on the following two turns, or temporarily block an opponent from using a crippling move like Toxic or Will-O-Wisp.
* Roar forces out setup Pokemon like Porygon-Z and Eevee and prevents Trick Room from being set up.
* Protect is an essential move in the VGC metagame, enabling Krookodile to be safe for a turn while its ally handles a threat like Tapu Lele.
Set Details
========
* 52 HP / 156 Atk / 44 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe EVs with a Jolly nature allow Krookodile to outspeed Timid Porygon-Z before Z-Conversion and always take a -1 Leaf Blade from Kartana at maximum health.
* Krookodile can afford to drop Speed investment if its team does not need it to outspeed positive-natured base 90s. For example, 180 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature provide Krookodile with just enough speed to always outspeed Modest Tapu Lele.
* Intimidate is the reason you should be using Krookodile, enabling it to weaken physical attackers.
* Groundium Z allows Krookodile to use Tectonic Rage while also allowing it to freely come in on Knock Off.
* An Adamant nature gives Krookodile more power, but it causes Krookodile to lose out on Speed benchmarks like Timid Porygon-Z and Modest Tapu Lele.
Usage Tips
========
* Don't just use Tectonic Rage freely; it can only be used once per match, meaning it's completely wasted if the opponent switches into a Ground-immune Pokemon like Celesteela. Save it for when your opponent cannot reliably switch anything in.
* This set needs to be careful against all of the Guardian Deities, including Tapu Koko. Tapu Koko cannot take Earthquake, but it does 2HKO Krookodile with Dazzling Gleam. Meanwhile, all of the other ones simply beat Krookodile one-on-one.
* While Krookodile can switch in on non-super effective physical attacks thanks to Intimidate, it's not taking special attacks that well, so this set should be played offensively.
* Unless Krookodile is absolutely necessary in order to handle a certain threat—Alolan Muk, for example—bringing it against Milotic is generally not a good idea thanks to Milotic's Competitive.
Team Options
========
* Fire-type Pokemon like Alolan Marowak make for great teammates for Krookodile, as they handle Pokemon like Celesteela and Kartana. Krookodile also supports Alolan Marowak by threatening Alolan Muk, which threatens to remove its Thick Club with Knock Off.
* Electric- and Grass-types like Tapu Koko and Kartana handle threatening Water-types like Milotic, Tapu Fini, and Araquanid. Assault Vest Kartana is an especially good teammate here, as it can safely handle Tapu Lele and any non-Life Orb Tapu Koko, barring Hidden Power Fire.
* Flying-types like Celesteela give Krookodile a teammate that is immune to Earthquake, allowing it to freely spam Earthquake. This is especially helpful once Krookodile has used up its Tectonic Rage, while Celesteela is a particularly noteworthy option thanks to its ability to handle Tapu Lele and Tapu Bulu.
* Pelipper also allows Krookodile to freely spam Earthquake while also assisting it against Bug- and Grass-types. Additionally, Krookodile stops the Electric-types that prove threatening for Pelipper.
* Psychic-types like Tapu Lele and Metagross also prove to be good teammates as they put a stop to Fighting-types for Krookodile while Krookodile stops Ghost-types for them.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Snarl
move 4: Dragon Tail
item: Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 140 Atk / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Earthquake is an essential move on Krookodile, giving it an option to target both enemies.
* Crunch gives Krookodile a way to hit Gengar and Alolan Marowak without also hitting its teammate and also getting around Wide Guard.
* Snarl enables Krookodile to cripple special attackers, rather than only the physical attackers crippled by Intimidate.
* Dragon Tail enables Krookodile to phaze an opposing Pokemon, enabling it to force out a threat to its teammate or a threatening setup Pokemon like Porygon-Z. It also enables it to prevent Trick Room from being set up.
* Bulldoze or Low Sweep are also options for Krookodile, enabling it to provide its team with speed control.
Set Details
========
* 252 HP / 116 SpD EVs ensure Life Orb Tapu Koko's Dazzling Gleam never 2HKOes Krookodile, with the remaining 140 EVs placed into Attack with an Adamant nature to ensure Krookodile hits hard.
* Krookodile can also invest in Speed to hit certain benchmarks; for example, 28 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed uninvested Arcanine.
* Intimidate is Krookodile's best ability, enabling it to cripple opposing physical attackers.
* Assault Vest in combination with Intimidate enables Krookodile to switch in on both physical and special attacks, barring super effective hits.
Usage Tips
========
* This set should generally be played as a pivot, coming in to take attacks and cripple attackers. However, it is still powerful enough to go on the offensive if it needs to.
* Although Intimidate makes Krookodile a strong choice for a lead, its mid-game pivoting capabilities will be compromised should it be worn down early-game.
* Tread lightly against any of the Guardian Deities not named Tapu Koko. They can take on Krookodile easily thanks to hitting it super effectively.
* If you see Milotic in Team Preview, consider not bringing Krookodile to the match. Thanks to Competitive, Milotic can easily turn Intimidate and Snarl into liabilities.
Team Options
========
* Fire-types like Alolan Marowak help Krookodile against Celesteela, as well as Grass-type Pokemon like Kartana. Furthermore, Krookodile counters Alolan Muk for Alolan Marowak.
* Electric-types like Tapu Koko and Grass-types like Kartana are also good teammates thanks to their ability to handle Water-types like Milotic, Tapu Fini, and Araquanid.
* Flying-types like Celesteela help so as to have a teammate that is immune to Earthquake. Furthermore, Celesteela assists Krookodile against Tapu Lele and Tapu Bulu.
* Pelipper handles Grass- and Bug-types for Krookodile, while Krookodile assists it against the Electric-types that threaten it.
* Psychic-types like Tapu Lele and Metagross beat Fighting-types for Krookodile, while Krookodile beats the Ghost-types that threaten them.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Power Trip generally should not be used, but it turns Krookodile into an excellent Baton Pass recipient for Eevee's Extreme Evoboost thanks to being absurdly powerful with the boosts.
* Stone Edge gives Krookodile another option to target Flying-types that isn't blocked by Wide Guard, but it suffers from dreadful accuracy.
* Rock Slide also allows Krookodile to target Flying-types super effectively, but it is incredibly weak.
* Assurance is generally inferior to Crunch, but it has its Base Power doubled to 120 if its target has already received damage on that turn, such as from any attack from Krookodile's teammate.
* Darkinium Z is another Z-Crystal option for Krookodile; most targets are hit harder by Tectonic Rage, but Black Hole Eclipse picks up an OHKO on Oranguru, Krookodile's only option to be able to do so.
* It's not normally advised to run special attacks on a physical attacker like Krookodile, but Sludge Bomb allows it to 2HKO Tapu Bulu, which no other move Krookodile learns can do.
* Krookodile can carry a Choice Scarf if its team needs it to outspeed threats like Tapu Koko, but Garchomp is usually a better choice for such a set.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-type Pokemon**: Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini all deal super effective damage to Krookodile, though Tapu Koko must be wary of Earthquake and cannot reliably take on Assault Vest sets. Additionally, Tapu Bulu's Grassy Terrain weakens Krookodile's Earthquake.
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu and Kartana prove problematic thanks to their Grass-type STAB moves. Tapu Bulu's Wood Hammer picks up the OHKO on Krookodile through Intimidate, while Krookodile cannot OHKO Kartana before Kartana 2HKOes it with Leaf Blade through Intimidate.
**Water-type Pokemon**: Milotic and Araquanid can both take Earthquake and retaliate with their Water-type STAB moves. Furthermore, Milotic's Competitive gives it a Special Attack boost from Intimidate, while Araquanid only has to be on the lookout for Stone Edge.
**Fighting-type Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Pheromosa, Hariyama, and Kommo-o all threaten to pick up OHKOs on Krookodile, the former two regardless of Intimidate and the latter with its specially based All-Out Pummeling.
**Celesteela**: Celesteela fears little from Krookodile and can 2HKO Krookodile with Heavy Slam if it is not affected by Intimidate. Furthermore, if Krookodile lacks Taunt, Celesteela can use Leech Seed on it in order to take it on much more safely.
**Intimidate and Burn**: As a physical attacker, opposing Intimidate and burn will severely hinder Krookodile's effectiveness by limiting its damage output.
**Wide Guard**: Although there are relatively few viable Wide Guard users, Pokemon like Celesteela and Araquanid can both utilize Wide Guard so as to prevent Krookodile from using Earthquake, Bulldoze, or Snarl. However, Taunt stops this, and Krookodile can also use Tectonic Rage so as to circumvent Wide Guard.
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