1v1
Overview
Crustle's excellent ability in Sturdy allows it to survive an attack from any Pokemon that lacks Mold Breaker, and a great movepool gives it access to moves such as Shell Smash, Rock Wrecker, Earthquake, and Counter. A decent Rock / Bug typing allows it to take on common metagame picks such as Mega Charizard Y and Porygon Z, and solid stats allow it to both take and deal damage reliably. However, its mediocre Speed stat leaves it vulnerable to fast attackers, even after boosting, and a weakness to Water- and Steel-type attacks lets Pokemon such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Metagross take it out. It also has very few options for sets, which makes it very predictable and limits its ability to bypass answers.
Shell Smash Attacker
- Crustle @ Rockium Z
- Ability: Sturdy
- EVs: 112 HP / 40 Def / 244 Atk / 112 Spe
- Adamant Nature
- - Rock Wrecker
- - Shell Smash
- - Earthquake
- - Counter / Rock Blast
Set Comments
Moves
Rock Wrecker is a powerful STAB attack, hitting extremely hard even without boosts and boosting Continental Crush to an incredible 200 Base Power; Continental Crush is used to deal heavy damage to most of the metagame, since, as Z-moves lack the downsides of the base move, it can be immediately followed by another attack. Shell Smash boosts Crustle's Attack and Speed, allowing it to outpace and KO most of the metagame. Earthquake rounds out Crustle's EdgeQuake coverage and hits Steel-type Pokemon that resist Rock-type attacks such as Aegislash and Magearna. Counter allows Crustle to take on most physical attackers that lack Sturdy themselves, while Rock Blast is another option to bypass opposing Substitutes, Mimikyu, and Crustle more reliably but leaves Crustle walled by Ground-type Pokemon such as Garchomp.
Set Details
112 HP EVs in combination with 40 Defense EVs allow Crustle to always survive a Waterfall from Mega Gyarados. 112 Spe EVs ensure that Crustle outspeeds maximum Speed Deoxys-D after a Shell Smash. The remaining EVs are put into Attack alongside an Adamant nature to maximize Crustle's damage output. Sturdy allows Crustle to survive a single hit from any Pokemon that lacks Mold Breaker. Rockium Z is chosen to turn Rock Wrecker into a powerful Continental Crush.
Usage Tips
Click Shell Smash versus Pokemon that are less than twice as fast as Crustle such as Deoxys-D and Meloetta or those that Crustle cannot OHKO. If the foe is or may be faster than +2 Crustle, however, attack instead of using Shell Smash; use Continental Crush instead of Rock Wrecker for the greater damage and lack of recharge turn in case the foe survives the attack. If Crustle is fighting a Mimikyu or a Substitute user, use Rock Blast to break Disguise or the Substitute and deal damage at once. Use Counter to take out physical attackers that resist Rock-type attacks or can survive an attack such as Garchomp.
Team Options
Checks to Mega Gyarados, such as Magearna and Tapu Koko, are required to prevent it from taking advantage of Crustle. Steel-type answers such as Mega Charizard Y, Garchomp, and Keldeo are handy to take out those for Crustle, while Pokemon that can take on Kyurem-B, such as Mega Charizard X, Magearna, and Mega Slowbro, are useful to handle that for Crustle. Crustle's only decent damage output gives it difficulty breaking walls, so answers such as Taunt Tapu Lele and Mega Charizard Y are useful to handle that. Grass- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, Kartana, and Aegislash appreciate Crustle checking Fire-type Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y and Victini, while in exchange they take on the Ground-type Pokemon Crustle struggles with.
Strategy Comments
Other Options
X-Scissor may be used as a straight substitution over Counter, but it has few targets and is weaker than even resisted Continental Crush. An alternative spread with 192 Attack EVs, 164 Speed EVs, X-Scissor, and Buginium Z can be used to take on Mega Gyarados, Garchomp, and Mega Slowbro, but this is far more specific. Choice Band can be used for more power on coverage moves such as Earthquake and a slightly more powerful Rock-type STAB move but is overall worse and prevents the use of Shell Smash.
Checks and Counters
- Mold Breaker: Crustle relies on Sturdy to allow it to survive attacks due to its low Speed, so Pokemon that can bypass it via Mold Breaker can take it out. Mega Gyarados and Subzero Slammer Kyurem-B in particular are annoying, as they have the power to KO it in a single hit without specific sets.
- Sturdy: Due to Crustle's low Speed and lack of priority, opposing Sturdy Pokemon such as Donphan, Golem, and Sawk can take it on reliably. The only Sturdy Pokemon Crustle can reliably handle are Bastiodon and slow Magnezone.
- Bulky Physical Walls: Pokemon that can take Crustle's attacks, such as Mega Slowbro, Blissey, and Umbreon, are very annoying for Crustle to face. Since Shell Smash has very low PP, Crustle cannot stall out Charm either, so any wall that runs that can handle Crustle easily.
- Steel-type Pokemon: Steel-type Pokemon resist Bug- and Rock-type attacks, leaving Crustle with only the weak Earthquake as an option. Steel-type Pokemon such as Magearna and Heatran can also bypass that with an Air Balloon, allowing them to even more fully wall Crustle.
- Flinches: Flinches deal damage and break Crustle's Sturdy, allowing Pokemon such as Hitmonlee to bypass its best line of defense without giving it a chance to react. Jirachi in particular is annoying, as Iron Head put the game entirely in the hands of RNG.