Gen 4 Cradily Stall

[Student of Sinnoh]

I present a particular stall. The goal is to build around cradily with all the support it needs, a pokemon I really like since I saw Emeral destroy the ladder with this mon in 2019. I tried many versions but from my experience this one worked best for me. There are still many possibilities that you can build around cradily that I am still trying to explore.

Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 12 Spe
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Roost
- Brave Bird


+

Cradily @ Leftovers
Ability: Suction Cups
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Rock Slide
- Recover
- Seed Bomb


I started with these two. The idea is that cradiliy is a very good spikes abuser as it puts on a timer his mains checks : Lucario, Jirachi, Machamp, Tyranitar, Metagross and Breloom. They also have good defensive synergy as Cradily can pivot against Skarmory's main checks, so Heatran, Zapdos, Rotom scarf, Mixgon (if spikes are not set up). And conversely, skarmory can pivot on some checks to cradily. I run Brave Bird mainly for Breloom and Gengar, and his speed EV's is to be slower than swampert so it can't use Earthquake on Roost (and i'm still enough faster than tank pert, so with Relaxed nature).

Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
- Earthquake
- Roar


Since there are already enough spdef tanks, I decided to run Hippowdon to make the team more solid against these physical attackers which are a problem for cradily (It also includes Clefable and Latias). The sand is important to boost Cradily's spdef and cut leftovers of annoying mons like gengar, suicune, zapdos, Gyarados. 8 Spe EV's for oppo hippo's.

252+ SpA Choice Specs Latias Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Cradily in Sand: 153-181 (40.6 - 48.1%)

Latias (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 100 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic/Hidden Power Fire/Reflect
- Roost
- Thunder Wave
- Ice Beam


Until now the core seemed a bit weak to Breloom so I added latias to check it. Also, since there's already enough to her main checks (hazards/steels/Tyranitar), she fits very well in this team. It also allows you to pivot on waters to weaken/para them, which helps the team. Psychic is for gengar and HP Fire mainly for scizor which can scare the team. The speed is to outspeed lucario and heatran.

EDIT: Added Reflect to better handle swampert and the physical attackers in general. It also improves the MU vs Loom/Ttar which's annoying

Magneton @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Flash Cannon
- Thunder Wave


Magneton has been added to rk these physical attackers, para Jirachi and trap Skarmory, which help the whole team and especially Cradily. It can also pivot on trick. He synergizes well with Hippo because Magneton after he gets locked on an attack can become potential setup fodder, and Hippo can punish them (dd ttar, metagross, lucario...)

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Knock Off
- Ice Beam/Protect
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled


I will not make a long comment, everyone knows that Clefable is mandatory in a stall. But basically I needed a check to mixgon and to pivot on restalk rotom (will-o-wisp), to have another spdef tank to justify maxdef hippo, etc... Ice beam for Gliscor and Breloom, and Protect for scarf copycat Lucario

ALTERNATIVE TO CRADILY :
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Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 56 Def / 204 SpD
Careful Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Roost

Scizor fits well in this team as there's Magneton to trap Skarmory, Heatran and Mag's (with HP ground if you use the zor version), Jirachi, etc.... Good spikes abuser, benefits from the support of Latias and Clefable to be able to pivot on its main checks. The sand cut leftovers to mons such as Gyarados/Zapdos, etc... 56 in def means max ATT Metagross can't OHKO with boom, and max ATT swampert can't 2hko with Earthquake. The rest in spdef to better manage special attackers.

 

[HydreigonTheChild]

how is the copycat scarf lucario mu? I do wonder esp with no tect on any of the mons esp with 3 layers ur mons are gonna take a crap ton of damage

 

[awyp]

Hello this is a very solid team.

I've used Cradily in the past (Gen 4 OU), it's very underrated but you should definitely make sure you have the right support around it.

From a threat perspective there's not one thing that comes to mind that seems bothersome. So as you stated this is a stall team, and 2 things off the bat I think it's missing is entry hazard removal and a status cleric.

Most importantly entry hazard, as you said above you have Latias as a Breloom check and to induce paralysis. I would suggest replacing Latias with another Breloom check, a Tentacruel. I think Tentacruel would assist in clearing up entry hazard which I feel currently can burden this team. Tentacruel will also assist this team stall wise by statusing the other team with Toxic Spikes. I would say that you do miss out on the speed Latias is providing. Synergy wise I Tentacruel gets covered Ground wise by Skarmory and Electric wise by Hippo, so it could be a nice match in terms of playing around those 3 (Switching back and forth).

Tentacruel Defensive Rapid Spin

Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 244 HP / 100 Def / 164 SpD
Calm Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Surf
- Toxic Spikes
- Sludge Bomb / Ice Beam

Lastly a small fix would be a status cleric (with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell). Once Cradily gets statused it will be very difficult to sweep towards the end with Cradily. Since Clefable has Heal Bell as a potential move I would say Knock Off isn't as needed aside from chipping damage and removing items (20 BP isn't great) Heal Bell sounds more enticing.

Aside from that the team is well built, and I wish you further success.

 

[Student of Sinnoh]

Cradily has Suction Cups and there's protect clef as option.

 

[Student of Sinnoh]

Hi AndViet,
thanks for the suggestions. I though about Tentacruel, but I feel like it's a decent mon in the current meta. Spinning in DPP is very hard, and for the case of Tentacruel Idont think it can keep off long term reliably, aswell as starmie. + it has no longevity. It's also not a good loom check as it can only switch once on breloom, unlike Latias. However, it has some good traits (defensive utility, spin, tspikes...) and I don't think that's a really bad mon as a whole, I am just unsure it fits really well in this team.

Heal Bell is an interessing option on clef and I think it can work on this team.