[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 1-2 points
**Overview**: Crocalor is a bulky Unaware Pokemon for players who realize they only have a couple of points left to complete their team's defensive profile or find themselves weak to specific setup sweepers. Although it has a shallow movepool and limited role options, it fits a niche that no other bottom-tier Pokemon can in terms of bulk and reliable recovery combined with the Fire typing's useful resistances. However, Crocalor is very limited on its moveset, so it offers relatively little flexibility outside of its somewhat passive defensive role even if used as a secondary Tera Captain. Another large downside to keep in mind is its dependence on Eviolite while being weak to Stealth Rock.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Unaware Wall**: With defensive investment and Eviolite, Crocalor can be very hard for foes to break through without super effective coverage or disruption of some kind. It can force switches with Yawn and threaten burns with Will-O-Wisp, deal decent damage with its usable Special Attack stat, and keep itself healthy with Slack Off, all while ignoring any offensive setup with Unaware.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Overheat, Flare Blitz
**Setup Moves**: This is where I would put my Torch Song... if I had one!
**Utility Moves**: Yawn, Will-O-Wisp, Slack Off, Encore, Roar, Protect
**Coverage**: Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Fire Spin**: Crocalor can trap foes and gain switch initiative or apply chip damage to Pokemon that can otherwise easily switch in and take advantage of its predictable coverage, which can be combined with Yawn or Protect to further disrupt trapped foes.
**Curse**: Crocalor can combine the boosts from Curse with Unaware and Eviolite to become difficult for very physically offensive teams to break while enabling it to theoretically make use of its slightly better physical coverage.
**Stomping Tantrum**: Crocalor's Attack is quite low, but frail foes that resist Fire might switch in recklessly, allowing it to get significant chip damage on Pokemon like Heatran, Glimmora, and Iron Moth that are severely weak to Ground.
**Seed Bomb**: Similar to Stomping Tantrum, Seed Bomb can catch bulky Water-types like Swampert and Gastrodon that are incredibly weak to Grass and normally have nothing to fear from switching in on Crocalor except a burn or Yawn.
Common Items
========
**Eviolite**: Eviolite bolsters Crocalor's otherwise mediocre defensive stats, allowing it to take considerably more hits than it would otherwise be able to. There is often not much reason to run any other item, as the benefit of Eviolite is so impactful to its primary role.
Niche Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Crocalor's weakness to Stealth Rock makes it difficult to function as a defensive switch-in for teams with strong entry hazard setters. Although it can rarely afford to drop Eviolite, Heavy-Duty Boots can relieve it from the pressure of constant entry hazard chip damage.
Tera
========
Crocalor can fit the role of a bottom-tier Tera Captain for teams that already have a top-tier Captain in mind and want to greatly improve its versatility. Any Tera type that removes its Stealth Rock weakness is beneficial and can be customized to help it wall specific setup sweepers on the opponent's team. Tera Fairy allows it to become a dollar store Clefable with several key resistances and much appreciated secondary Fairy-type coverage. Tera Water, Poison, Ground, and Ghost can be vital to a team that needs to check specific attacks. Tera Grass can also be useful for mindgames, as it flips Crocalor's traditional weaknesses. Although it greatly appreciates being able to Tera, a better secondary Tera Captain is almost always preferred.
Draft Strategy
========
Crocalor is a niche late-draft pick that is meant to fill very specific holes in an otherwise self-sufficient team that already has ample wallbreakers, pivots, and entry hazard control. It provides useful resistances, reliable recovery, and status spreading, and it ignores any offensive boosts with Unaware. It is best used as a specific counter to opposing setup sweepers, supporting its team but never being a wincon or star player.
**Entry Hazard Removers**: Crocalor functions best without taking entry hazard damage, so consistent removal from teammates like Great Tusk and Quaquaval can allow it to switch in and out freely.
**Grass-types**: Having a teammate that can switch in on and threaten Water- and Ground-type foes gives Crocalor space to answer the rest of the opponent's team without being as much of a momentum sink. Rillaboom and Serperior are two of many options that could fill this role.
**Knock Off Absorbers**: Crocalor loses some bulk if its Eviolite gets knocked off, so having Pokemon like Cobalion and Kommo-o that freely switch in on Knock Off can be very beneficial.
Checks and Counters
========
**Entry Hazards**: Crocalor's Fire typing and reliance on Eviolite makes it prone to damage and status from entry hazards, forcing it to spend more turns using Slack Off instead of more useful moves.
**Wallbreakers**: While Crocalor can handle setup sweepers with Unaware, wallbreakers like Iron Boulder, Raging Bolt, and Kyurem holding damage-boosting items can brute force through its defenses, especially if they have entry hazard support. Special attackers and Fire-types in particular can be difficult for it to handle, as a burn does not weaken its foe's attacks.
**Toxic / Poison**: Crocalor is easier to overwhelm if it is also taking passive damage, as it rarely has room for Substitute or passive recovery of any kind, forcing it to waste more turns using Slack Off than actually contributing to the battle.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/xand.614716/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf.608304/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 1-2 points
**Overview**: Crocalor is a bulky Unaware Pokemon for players who realize they only have a couple of points left to complete their team's defensive profile or find themselves weak to specific setup sweepers. Although it has a shallow movepool and limited role options, it fits a niche that no other bottom-tier Pokemon can in terms of bulk and reliable recovery combined with the Fire typing's useful resistances. However, Crocalor is very limited on its moveset, so it offers relatively little flexibility outside of its somewhat passive defensive role even if used as a secondary Tera Captain. Another large downside to keep in mind is its dependence on Eviolite while being weak to Stealth Rock.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Unaware Wall**: With defensive investment and Eviolite, Crocalor can be very hard for foes to break through without super effective coverage or disruption of some kind. It can force switches with Yawn and threaten burns with Will-O-Wisp, deal decent damage with its usable Special Attack stat, and keep itself healthy with Slack Off, all while ignoring any offensive setup with Unaware.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Overheat, Flare Blitz
**Setup Moves**: This is where I would put my Torch Song... if I had one!
**Utility Moves**: Yawn, Will-O-Wisp, Slack Off, Encore, Roar, Protect
**Coverage**: Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Fire Spin**: Crocalor can trap foes and gain switch initiative or apply chip damage to Pokemon that can otherwise easily switch in and take advantage of its predictable coverage, which can be combined with Yawn or Protect to further disrupt trapped foes.
**Curse**: Crocalor can combine the boosts from Curse with Unaware and Eviolite to become difficult for very physically offensive teams to break while enabling it to theoretically make use of its slightly better physical coverage.
**Stomping Tantrum**: Crocalor's Attack is quite low, but frail foes that resist Fire might switch in recklessly, allowing it to get significant chip damage on Pokemon like Heatran, Glimmora, and Iron Moth that are severely weak to Ground.
**Seed Bomb**: Similar to Stomping Tantrum, Seed Bomb can catch bulky Water-types like Swampert and Gastrodon that are incredibly weak to Grass and normally have nothing to fear from switching in on Crocalor except a burn or Yawn.
Common Items
========
**Eviolite**: Eviolite bolsters Crocalor's otherwise mediocre defensive stats, allowing it to take considerably more hits than it would otherwise be able to. There is often not much reason to run any other item, as the benefit of Eviolite is so impactful to its primary role.
Niche Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Crocalor's weakness to Stealth Rock makes it difficult to function as a defensive switch-in for teams with strong entry hazard setters. Although it can rarely afford to drop Eviolite, Heavy-Duty Boots can relieve it from the pressure of constant entry hazard chip damage.
Tera
========
Crocalor can fit the role of a bottom-tier Tera Captain for teams that already have a top-tier Captain in mind and want to greatly improve its versatility. Any Tera type that removes its Stealth Rock weakness is beneficial and can be customized to help it wall specific setup sweepers on the opponent's team. Tera Fairy allows it to become a dollar store Clefable with several key resistances and much appreciated secondary Fairy-type coverage. Tera Water, Poison, Ground, and Ghost can be vital to a team that needs to check specific attacks. Tera Grass can also be useful for mindgames, as it flips Crocalor's traditional weaknesses. Although it greatly appreciates being able to Tera, a better secondary Tera Captain is almost always preferred.
Draft Strategy
========
Crocalor is a niche late-draft pick that is meant to fill very specific holes in an otherwise self-sufficient team that already has ample wallbreakers, pivots, and entry hazard control. It provides useful resistances, reliable recovery, and status spreading, and it ignores any offensive boosts with Unaware. It is best used as a specific counter to opposing setup sweepers, supporting its team but never being a wincon or star player.
**Entry Hazard Removers**: Crocalor functions best without taking entry hazard damage, so consistent removal from teammates like Great Tusk and Quaquaval can allow it to switch in and out freely.
**Grass-types**: Having a teammate that can switch in on and threaten Water- and Ground-type foes gives Crocalor space to answer the rest of the opponent's team without being as much of a momentum sink. Rillaboom and Serperior are two of many options that could fill this role.
**Knock Off Absorbers**: Crocalor loses some bulk if its Eviolite gets knocked off, so having Pokemon like Cobalion and Kommo-o that freely switch in on Knock Off can be very beneficial.
Checks and Counters
========
**Entry Hazards**: Crocalor's Fire typing and reliance on Eviolite makes it prone to damage and status from entry hazards, forcing it to spend more turns using Slack Off instead of more useful moves.
**Wallbreakers**: While Crocalor can handle setup sweepers with Unaware, wallbreakers like Iron Boulder, Raging Bolt, and Kyurem holding damage-boosting items can brute force through its defenses, especially if they have entry hazard support. Special attackers and Fire-types in particular can be difficult for it to handle, as a burn does not weaken its foe's attacks.
**Toxic / Poison**: Crocalor is easier to overwhelm if it is also taking passive damage, as it rarely has room for Substitute or passive recovery of any kind, forcing it to waste more turns using Slack Off than actually contributing to the battle.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/xand.614716/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf.608304/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
