Crustle (Analysis)

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[Overview]

<p>Meet Crustle, the wee little hermit crab with the typically dubious Nintendo stat spread and typing. Just like many other forgotten Rock-types, it gets high Defense, moderate Attack, low HP and Special Defense, and truly appalling Speed. This stat spread is quite ironic considering that its typing, Bug / Rock, is terrific offensively but sincerely poor defensively, having only two resistances, to Normal and Poison. Add this to the fact that it is essentially a clone of Armaldo with higher Defense and lower Attack, and things begin to look fairly bleak. However, thanks to the combination of Crustle's ability, Sturdy, and its access to both Spikes and Stealth Rock, it has a niche as a potent support Pokemon, which is almost guaranteed to set up entry hazards with the help of Mental Herb or Lum Berry for Taunt and sleep moves, respectively. Its dual STAB moves also help out here, as they allow Crustle to deal super effective damage to a number of common Taunt users, such as Thundurus, Deoxys-S, and Whimsicott, as well as both Espeon and Xatu. Crustle also has access to a number of powerful boosting moves and a useful offensive movepool, making it a decent offensive threat.</p>

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Blast
move 4: X-Scissor
item: Mental Herb / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Crustle is one of only three Pokemon in the game (the others being Skarmory and Forretress) to get the combination of Sturdy + Spikes, and of the three is by far the most offensively threatening. It has access to excellent dual STAB moves that, when combined, hit a wide array of Pokemon for super effective damage, coming off an acceptable base 95 Attack stat. The basic idea behind the set is to first lay down either Stealth Rock or Spikes as your opponent attacks, surviving the attack thanks to your Sturdy ability, which means that in combination with Lum Berry or Mental Herb, no matter what the opponent does, it cannot stop Crustle from laying down Stealth Rock or at least one layer of Spikes.</p>

<p>However, there are several ways in which Crustle can be prevented from setting up. If you are using Mental Herb, opposing Pokemon can potentially stop it should they have a sleep-inducing move, and if running Lum Berry, many Pokemon can stop Crustle from setting up by using Taunt, which is where Crustle's impressive STAB combination comes in. Stone Edge can OHKO 4 HP Thundurus and 252 HP Xatu, while X-Scissor OHKOes Espeon and does upwards of 85% to 248 HP Whimsicott and Deoxys-S, though it is unable to OHKO either. Rock Blast is an acceptable alternative to Stone Edge if you want to capitalize on its ability to break Focus Sashes; however, you would need to get at least 4 hits in order to be able to OHKO Xatu or Thundurus without any fuss.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs are fairly straightforward. Maximum Attack is essential to make the most of Crustle's biggest advantage over similar Skarmory and Forretress sets: its impressive offensive presence. After this, 60 Speed EVs are advised to outrun Relaxed Swampert and the majority of other defensive threats, making it easier to stack Spikes on them. The leftover EVs are placed in HP to allow Crustle to take attacks more easily, which helps against both offensive and defensive threats. However, if you want, there are a number of other Speed benchmarks that you can aim for if you are unduly worried about being outsped by bulky threats - 84 Speed EVs outruns minimum Speed base 55s such as Machamp and Blissey, and 204 Speed allows you to outrun defensive Metagross and Scizor. Mental Herb or Lum Berry is advised in order to prevent Crustle from being immobilised by Taunt or sleep, respectively; however, if you are not worried about either of them, then Leftovers is a useful alternative, as it helps bulk up Crustle and increases its staying power.</p>

<p>In terms of teammates, you will want to pair Crustle with those who can take as great an advantage from the entry hazards as possible. The best examples are shufflers and set-up sweepers. For example, in the former category Roar Suicune, Whirlwind Skarmory, and Dragon Tail Salamence can sit around and shuffle the opponent, thereby racking up residual damage and weakening the foe's team, heightening the effect of the residual damage. This extra residual damage plays directly into the hands of set-up sweepers, all of whom appreciate extra damage on the opponent's team to make their sweep easier. Swords Dance Excadrill, Rock Polish Terrakion, and Quiver Dance Volcarona are all good options to consider. Lastly, a Ghost-type teammate is vital to prevent your entry hazards from being cleared away by Rapid Spin users. Jellicent and Chandelure are decent options to consider for this.</p>

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Earthquake
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Crustle is a proud holder of many useful boosting moves that many physical sweepers would give their left arms for. Swords Dance, Rock Polish, Claw Sharpen, and Curse are all very useful tools for Crustle to use, but the trouble is that Armaldo also gets all of them, and generally does a better job with them as well, thanks to its higher Attack stat. However, Crustle has one last trick up its sleeve that Armaldo doesn't have: access to perhaps the most broken set-up move in the game, Shell Smash, which after one use doubles Crustle's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed, at the cost of lowering its Defense and Special Defense by one stage. However, Crustle's natural physical bulk and a Special Defense boost from sandstorm compensate for this somewhat.</p>

<p>Crustle's STAB X-Scissor and Stone Edge form an impressive attacking combination, which, when combined with Earthquake, hits every single Pokemon in the game for at least neutral damage. When backed up by the boost from Shell Smash and Life Orb, this allows Crustle to tear right through unprepared teams. Unlike in other situations, its poor Speed is not enough to hold it back, as after a Shell Smash it hits 378 Speed, which is sufficient to outrun positive-natured base 120 Speed Pokemon, including Alakazam and Dugtrio. Crustle's Sturdy ability is also a big help; even though it may seem counter-productive with Life Orb, if you can get Crustle in without taking any damage, it can at least get off a Shell Smash without any worries about being OHKOed.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As far as the EVs and nature go, Crustle is unlikely to be surviving many super effective assaults, especially after a Shell Smash, meaning that a simple sweeper EV spread is generally the best option. An Adamant nature is advised in order to achieve the maximum damage output possible; however, a Jolly nature is also a useful option to allow Crustle to outrun several key Pokemon, such as positive-natured base 130s. Life Orb is a necessary option for the power it brings, though Expert Belt may be worth a look if you are worried about bulk or want to preserve Sturdy as a failsafe. While Aerial Ace may seem a stupid option on something that clearly needs high-power moves to be an effective sweeper, it can be useful, especially on sandstorm teams, as a way of beating priority revenge killers such as Hitmontop, Breloom, and Conkeldurr, who may attempt to stop a second sweep by Tyranitar or Excadrill later on in the game. This is especially effective on Crustle, as even at -1 Defense, it is not even 2HKOed by an unboosted Mach Punch from any of them. This will allow Crustle to deal some serious damage with Aerial Ace, hopefully defeating them on top of passive damage.</p>

<p>Entry hazards are a useful support tool to help Crustle sweep more easily. Deoxys-S in particular can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock with ease and prevent the other team from doing the same with Taunt, which is helpful as Crustle is weak to Stealth Rock and will want to preserve its Sturdy ability if it can. To this end, Rapid Spin support from Starmie or Forretress can also be considered, and the latter can also set up all three entry hazards. Tyranitar or Hippowdon is recommended to set up sandstorm, which boosts Crustle's Special Defense and increases passive damage on the opposing team; Crustle itself can be a useful asset on sandstorm teams if it can get set up, as it is one of the few defensive Rock-types that are not weak to both Fighting- and Ground-type attacks. While most sandstorm teams would prefer a more defensive Crustle to make switching easier, hyper-offensive Crustle has its merits as well. For example, Crustle can wear down big threats to its fellow sandstorm sweepers, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Conkeldurr, though it cannot beat any of them outright. This makes it easier for them to sweep the field later in the game. Crustle is also an excellent bait tool, not only for Conkeldurr and Breloom as described above, but also for Pokemon like Scizor, by forcing the opponent to use Bullet Punch to save their team and thus giving Excadrill a free switch.</p>

<p>When not being used on sandstorm teams, there are a number of other prospective partners for Crustle. Bulky Fighting-types, such as Conkeldurr and Machamp, while not being quite as threatening to other Rock-types, are still a massive pain. To take care of them, a Ghost-type such as Jellicent or Chandelure is advised, both of whom can also block Rapid Spin and are able to take on Scizor, who is a huge threat to Crustle. Jellicent in particular can also deal with Water-types such as Azumarill, who are also likely to be an issue. Lastly, bulky Ground- and Rock-types, such as Hippowdon, can be troublesome, as Crustle cannot hit hard enough to break through their sturdy defenses. As previously mentioned, Jellicent can take them on admirably, but lacks the ability to switch in on powerful physical attacks repeatedly. On the other hand, a bulky Grass-type such as Ferrothorn or Celebi could be worth investing in to switch in on and break down these annoyances. Both can also provide Leech Seed and Thunder Wave support for facilitating Crustle's sweep.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Crustle has tons of other excellent boosting moves, namely Rock Polish, Swords Dance, Hone Claws, and Curse, all of which are of great use if you don't want to commit suicide with the Shell Smash set. However, in general, these types of sets are better left to Pokemon such as Armaldo and Rhyperior, with the possible exception of the Curse set; however, even then Tyranitar is generally a more appealing option. In terms of alternative physical attacks, Rock Slide is a more accurate but less powerful alternative to Stone Edge, Aerial Ace can be used as a stronger move against Fighting-types, and Shadow Claw can be useful if you are having trouble with Golurk. On the whole though, just stick with what the sets propose if those specific types of Pokemon don't bother you. Protect can be of use on the Support set if you do not have Leftovers in order to scout and block Fake Out, or you do not want to run two entry hazards.</p>

<p>Crustle also has an intriguing move combination in the form of Block + Spikes, which can allow it to stack layers of Spikes against a weaker opponent such as Ferrothorn or Blissey. Crustle also gets a number of gimmick attacks, which can be fun to spring on your opponents. Flail is very nice in tandem with Sturdy, allowing you to hopefully get off a Swords Dance or Shell Smash as your opponent brings you down to 1HP and then proceed to wreck things, though Crustle is unlikely to last very long. Rock Wrecker is Crustle's strongest STAB attack and is guaranteed to marmalize anything that switches into it; however, it is also guaranteed to lose you Crustle, as the next Pokemon to come in gets a free turn to do whatever it wants. Lastly, Shell Smash also happens to raise your Special Attack stat, and, though quite frankly the last thing you want to be doing is trying to use Crustle as a special sweeper, there are nevertheless some interesting possibilities. For example, Hidden Power Fire OHKOes Forretress, with whom Crustle would otherwise have trouble.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>If Crustle lacks Mental Herb, Taunt users can generally shut it down almost entirely. This can frustrate Crustle's attempts to support the team, though many common Taunt users have the problem of being weak to one of Crustle's STAB attacks. Espeon or Xatu can also irritate Crustle by virtue of their Magic Bounce ability, but again, watch out for Crustle's STAB moves, as they can OHKO both. Generally, a Pokemon such as Heatran would be best placed to stop the entry hazards going up through brute force, since it takes very little from any of Crustle's attacks and can switch in with relative impunity. Another method of dealing with Crustle is to employ a Rapid Spin Starmie or Excadrill, who can first activate Crustle's Sturdy with their respective STAB moves and then knock it out with Rapid Spin, removing both Crustle and its hazards.</p>

<p>Against offensive Crustle, you are unlikely to be hard-pressed to find a reasonable answer, as most defensive types bear the necessary defensive tools required to stop it. Bulky Water-types are high on the list, with Quagsire being one of the best thanks to its resistance to Rock, reliable recovery, and Unaware ability. Azumarill is also fairly bulky and can destroy Crustle with a strong STAB Aqua Jet before it even has a chance to move. Bulky Fighting-types are also worth mentioning, as what they lack in terms of raw defensive power they make up for with resistances to both of Crustle's STAB attacks. Conkeldurr, Machamp, and Hariyama are all noteworthy options. Another type with resistances to both of Crustle's STAB attacks is Steel, though it is also weak to Earthquake. With that in mind, Skarmory and Forretress have extremely high Defense stats and, although they take neutral damage from Rock-type attacks, can take plenty of punishment; Skarmory can even use Crustle as set-up fodder. Scizor is also worth mentioning, as its STAB Technician Bullet Punch is, perhaps, Crustle's biggest fear. Lastly, Pokemon with huge defensive stats in general are more than capable of causing Crustle some problems; these generally boil down to Steel-, Rock-, and Ground-types. Steelix, Rhyperior, and Hippowdon are all worth mentioning here, even if they do not see much use competitively.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Crustle's Dream World ability is Breakable Armor, which increases Speed and lowers Defense every time it is hit by a physical attack. While this may seem useful for sweeping sets, in actuality Shell Smash does a much more reliable job of the same thing, and in just about all other cases Sturdy is a better ability.</p>

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Post-critique changes:

- Changed nature on Shell Smash set
- Small grammar check by Eraddd
- Removed Darkrai and Shaymin-S
- Grammar check 1, thanks to iDunno
- Added English names and changed to new format
- GP Grammar-Prose Check #1, thanks to Ray Jay
- GP Grammar-Prose Check #2, thanks to Aeron Ee1
- Removed Garchomp
 
You should explain why any of those counters you list are counters. Think about how useless just naming the Pokemon is to your readers.

Anyway, format is fine, marked as done.
 
Sturdy is blatantly superior to Shell Armor on the Shell Break set (Actually Sturdy is superior in general). If you're running -1Def/SpD, not getting critted won't matter. However, if you managed to Shell Break and keep full HP, you survive at least one attack. Granted Life Orb will KO you afterward, but you're guaranteed one boosted attack. (Or you could use Expert Belt.)
 
It gets curse, so maybe a curse set?

[SET]
name: Curser
move1: Curse
move2: X-Scissor
move3: Stone Edge
move4: Earthquake/Rest
item: Leftovers/Chesto berry
ability: Sturdy/ Breakable armour?
nature: Adamant/Careful
evs: 252 hp/ 4 atk/ 252 spec D

Or you could use a more offensive spread of 252 atk/ 252 spe/ 4 spec D. Anyway, With Breakable armour, you would gain speed whenever hit, which cancels out the negative (and positive) buffs of curse, putting you at +1 atk opposed to + 1 atk and def -1 spe. Rest allows you to heal up, and Iwaparesu becomes very tankish after a couple of curses. Chesto allows for a quick heal, Lefties for longer survivability.
 
I thought I'd begin writing up some of my reserved analyses before I got busy over Christmas, so here's a nice easy one to start off with (well, from a writer's point of view anyway). I know we're not meant to be writing OU analyses at the moment, but in the interests of time I don't think it's prudent to wait any longer, so I'll try to finish my others when I have time.

Please critique.
 
I wonder how viable Custap Berry would be on this thing in the lead set. With sturdy it could be abused to get you another layer of hazards down. It could be worth a slash solely for that.
 
I wonder how viable Custap Berry would be on this thing in the lead set. With sturdy it could be abused to get you another layer of hazards down. It could be worth a slash solely for that.

Custap Berry doesn't exist in BW yet, so no point in mentioning it. Otherwise, I would have done so already.
 
Dragon Tail Ononokusu
This is pretty minor but I think Salamence is a better example here (in the taking advantage of hazards part) as it does the whole Dragon Tail thing a lot better than Ononokusu.
as well as its Sturdy ability compensate for this somewhat
(This is on the Shell Break set), this doesn't really compensate when you use Life Orb as your item..
QC APPROVED (2/2)
 
<p>Meet Iwaparesu, the wee little hermit crab with the typically dubious Nintendo stat spread and typing. Just like many other forgotten Rock-types, it gets high Defense, moderate Attack, low HP and Special Defense, and truly appalling Speed. This is quite annoying when considering his typing, as Bug/Rock is a terrific offensive typing but a sincerely poor defensive typing, with only two resistances to Normal- and Poison-types. Add this to the fact that it is essentially a clone of Armaldo with higher Defense and lower Attack, and things begin to look fairly dismal. However, thanks to Iwaparesu's ability, Sturdy, in combination with its access to both Spikes and Stealth Rock, it has a niche as a potent support lead, which [Editor's Note] I'm not sure if pokemon are considered as "people" so I'm gonna put which here. Feel free to change it back if it does not fall under Smogon Convention is almost guaranteed to set up entry hazards. Its dual STAB moves also help out here, as they allow Iwaparesu to deal super effective damage to a number of common Taunt users, such as Borutorosu, Deoxys-S, and Erufuun. Iwaparesu also has access to a number of powerful boosting moves and has a useful offensive movepool, making it a potent offensive threat.</p>

Just looking over the overview. A few mistakes, but overall looks great.
 
Just a nitpick here, a STAB Earthquake does more damage to Roopushin and Hitmontop than a super-effective Aerial Ace.
 
There was tons of comma confusion, but otherwise this was a very well written analysis.

*cough* (BAN ME PLEASE) *cough*

DELETE
ADD
COMMENTS
[Overview]

<p>Meet Crustle, the wee little hermit crab with the typically dubious Nintendo stat spread and typing. Just like many other forgotten Rock-types, it gets high Defense, moderate Attack, low HP and Special Defense, and truly appalling Speed. This stat spread is quite annoying ironic when considering that his its typing, as Bug/Rock, is a terrific offensive typing offensively, but asincerely poor defensive typing defensively, with having only two resistances, to Normal and Poison. {Reason for the adjective change: "annoying" is too opinionated to be included so i changed it to ironic) Add this to the fact that it is essentially a clone of Armaldo with higher Defense and lower Attack, and things begin to look fairly dismal bleak {not necessary, I just think bleak fits better in this kind of situation}. However, thanks to Crustle's ability, Sturdy, in combination with its access to both Spikes and Stealth Rock, it has a niche as a potent support lead, which is almost guaranteed to set up entry hazards in combination with the help of Mental Herb or Lum Berry for Taunt and sleep moves, respectively. Along with Mental Herb, Its dual STAB moves also help out here in dealing with Taunt, as they allow Crustle to deal super effective damage to a number of common Taunt users, such as Thundurus, Deoxys-S, and Whimsicott. Crustle also has access to a number of powerful boosting moves and has a useful offensive movepool, making it a potent {you used potent earlier - consider changing} offensive threat.</p>

[SET]
name: Support Lead
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Blast
move 4: X-Scissor
item: Mental Herb / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Crustle is one of only three Pokemon in the game (the others being Skarmory and Forretress) to get the combination of Sturdy + Spikes, and of the three is by far the most offensively threatening. It has access to excellent dual STAB moves that, when combined, hit a lot wide array of Pokemon for super effective damage, and coming off an acceptable base 95 Attack stat, it's going to leave a mark. The basic idea behind the set is to first lay down either Stealth Rock or Spikes as your opponent attacks, surviving the attack thanks to your Sturdy ability, which means that, in combination with Lum Berry or Mental Herb, no matter what the opponent does, it cannot stop Crustle offensively from laying down Stealth Rock or at least one layer of Spikes.</p>

<p>However, there are several ways in which Crustle can be prevented from setting up. If you are using Mental Herb, Politoed opposing leads can potentially put you Crustle to sleep with Hypnosis a sleep-inducing move, and if running Lum Berry, many leads can stop Crustle from setting up by using Taunt, which is where Crustle's impressive STAB combination comes in. Stone Edge can OHKO 4 HP Thundurus and Aerodactyl, while X-Scissor does upwards of 85% to 248 HP Whimsicott and Deoxys-S, though it is unable to OHKO either. Rock Blast is an acceptable alternative to Stone Edge if you want to capitalize on its ability to break Focus Sash; if you manage to get 4 hits on Thundurus or Aerodactyl, you can OHKO them without any fuss however, you need to get 4 hits in order to be able to OHKO Aerodactyl or Thundurus without any fuss.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs are fairly straightforward. Maximum Attack is essential to make the most of Crustle's biggest advantage over similar Skarmory and Forretress sets - its impressive offensive presence. After this, 60 Speed EVs are advised to outrun Relaxed Swampert and the majority of other defensive threats, making it easier to stack Spikes on them. The leftover EVs are placed in HP to allow Crustle to take attacks more easily, which helps against both offensive and defensive threats. However, if you want, there are a number of other Speed benchmarks that you can aim for if you are unduly worried about being outsped by bulky threats - 88 Speed EVs outruns 4 Speed Machamp, and 208 Speed allows you to outrun Metagross and Scizor. Mental Herb or Lum Berry is advised in order to prevent Crustle from being immobilised by Taunt or sleep, respectively, however if you are not worried about either of them, then Leftovers is a useful alternative, as it helps bulk up Crustle and increases its staying power. It also helps against Fake Out leads, as it can heal off the damage caused by Infernape or Hitmontop, preserving Crustle's precious Sturdy failsafe.</p>

<p>In terms of teammates, you will want to pair Crustle with those who can take as great an advantage from the entry hazards as possible. The best examples are shufflers and set-up sweepers. For example, in the former category Roar Suicune, Whirlwind Skarmory, or and {unless you meant you can/should only use one} Dragon Tail Salamence can sit around and shuffle the opponent, racking up residual damage and weakening the foe's team, thereby heightening the effect of the residual damage. This extra residual damage plays directly into the hands of set-up sweepers, all of whom appreciateextra damage on the opponent's team to make their sweep easier. Swords Dance Excadrill, Rock Polish Terrakion, and Butterfly Dance Volcarona are all good options to consider. Lastly, Ghost-type support is an incredibly useful tool vital, as it can prevent your entry hazards from being cleared away by Rapid Spin users. Jellicent and Chandelure are decent options to consider for this.</p>

[SET]
name: Shell Break
move1: Shell Break
move2: X-Scissor
move3: Stone Edge
move4: Earthquake
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Crustle is a proud holder of lots of many useful boosting moves that many physical sweepers would give their left arms for. Swords Dance, Rock Polish, Claw Sharpen, and Curse are all very useful tools for Crustle to use, but the trouble is that Armaldo also gets all of them, and generally does a better job with them as well, thanks to its higher Attack stat. However, Crustle has one last trick up its sleeve that Armaldo doesn't have: access to perhaps the most broken set-up move in the game, Shell Break, which, after one use, doubles Crustle's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed, at the cost of lowering its Defense and Special Defense by one stage. However, Crustle's natural physical bulk and the Special Defense boost from sandstorm compensate for this somewhat.</p>

<p>Crustle's STAB X-Scissor and Stone Edge form an impressive attacking combination, which, when combined with Earthquake, hits every single Pokemon in the game for at least neutral damage. When backed up by the boost from Shell Break and Life Orb, this allows Crustle to tear through unprepared teams. Unlike in other situations, its poor Speed is not enough to hold it back, as after a Shell Break it hits 378 Speed, which is sufficient to outrun positive-natured base 120 Speed Pokemon, such as Alakazam and Dugtrio. Crustle's Sturdy ability is also a big help - even though it may seem counter-productive with Life Orb, if you can get Crustle in without taking any damage, it can get off a Shell Break without any worries about being OHKOed.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As far as the EVs and nature go, Crustle is unlikely to be surviving many super effective assaults, especially after a Shell Break, meaning that a simple sweeper EV spread of 4/252/252 is generally the best option. An Adamant nature is advised in order to achieve the maximum damage output possible; however, a Jolly nature is also a useful option to allow you to outrun several key Pokemon, such as positive-natured base 130s. Life Orb is a necessary option for the power it brings, though Expert Belt may be worth a look if you are worried about bulk or want to preserve Sturdy as a failsafe. While Aerial Ace may seem a stupid option on something that clearly needs high-power moves to be an effective sweeper, it can be useful, especially on sandstorm teams, as a way of beating priority revenge killers, such as Hitmontop, Breloom, and Conkeldurr, who may attempt to stop a second sweep by Garchomp or Excadrill later on in the game. This is especially important effective on Crustle, as even at -1 Defense, Crustle it is not even 2HKOed by unboosted Mach Punch from any of them. This will allow Crustle to deal some serious damage with Aerial Ace, hopefully defeating them on top of passive damage.</p>

<p>Entry hazards are a useful support tool to help Crustle sweep more easily. Deoxys-S, in particular, can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock with ease and prevent the other team from doing the same with Taunt, which is helpful as Crustle is weak to Stealth Rock and will want to preserve its Sturdy ability if it can. To this end, Rapid Spin support from Starmie or Forretress can also be considered, and the latter can also set up all three entry hazards. Tyranitar or Hippowdon is recommended to set up sandstorm, which boosts Crustle's Special Defense and increases passive damage on the opposing team; to this end, Crustle itself can be a useful asset on sandstorm teams if it can get set up, as it is one of the few defensive Rock-types that are not weak to Fighting-type or and Ground-type attacks. While most sandstorm teams would prefer a more defensive Crustle to make switching easier, hyper-offensive Crustle has its merits as well. For example, Crustle can wear down big threats to sweepers like Excadrill and Garchomp, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Conkeldurr, though it cannot beat any of them outright. This makes it easier for your sandstorm sweepers to sweep the field later in the game. Crustle is also an excellent bait tool, not only for Conkeldurr and Breloom as described above, but also for Pokemon like Scizor, by forcing the opponent to use Bullet Punch to save their team and thus giving Excadrill a free switch.</p>

<p>When not being used on sandstorm teams, there are a number of other prospective partners for Crustle. Bulky Fighting-types, such as Conkeldurr and Machamp, while not being quite as threatening to other Rock-types, are still a massive pain. To take care of them, a Ghost-type such as Jellicent or Chandelure is advised, both of whom can also block Rapid Spin and are able to take on Scizor, who is a massive pain for Crustle. Jellicent in particular can also deal with Water-types such as Azumarill, who are also likely to be an issue. Lastly, bulky Ground- and Rock-types, such as Steelix and Rhyperior, can be troublesome, as Crustle cannot hit hard enough to break their high Defense stats. As previously mentioned, Jellicent can take both on admirably, but lacks the ability to switch in on powerful physical attacks repeatedly. On the other hand, a bulky Grass-type such as Ferrothorn or Celebi could be worth investing in to switch in on and break down these annoyances. Both can also provide Leech Seed and Thunder Wave support for facilitating Crustle's sweep.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Crustle is one of those Pokemon that can either support or be supported. While lead sets require essentially zero support, besides possibly the option of Ghost-type support to block Rapid Spin, almost all offensive sets can be supported well in numerous ways. The most obvious of these is entry hazard support. Spikes and Stealth Rock can easily be set up by a lead, such as Deoxys-S, and greatly increase passive damage to the opposing team. On the other hand, you will want to prevent the same happening to you, as Crustle is weak to Stealth Rock and any kind of passive damage messes up Sturdy, so it may be wise to invest in a Rapid Spin user, such as Starmie or Forretress. On the subject of passive damage, sandstorm not only damages opposing Pokemon, but also patches up Crustle's poor Special Defense stat, thus making it far more defensively competent. Thunder Wave support is also helpful, in order to slow down the opposing team, which is helpful for Crustle that don't boost their Speed. This can be spread around by Pokemon, such as Ferrothorn, Celebi, and Blissey; the former two can also use Leech Seed and , while the latter two can also use Aromatherapy or Heal Bell. Blissey is also notable as it can use pass huge wishes extremely powerful Wish support that can effectively heals Crustle entirely - this is very useful when taking Sturdy into account.</p>

<p>On the offensive side, Crustle is generally most troubled by bulky Fighting-, Ground-, Rock-, and Water-types. Jellicent has already been mentioned for its utility as a spinblocker, but it also has considerable defensive synergy with Crustle, as it can take on all of the aforementioned types, being immune to both Fighting- and Water-type attacks by virtue of its typing and ability, and while smacking the other two types for super effective damage with its STAB moves. In addition, it can also act as an emergency check for Scizor, packing resistances to all of U-turn, Bullet Punch, and Superpower. It cannot switch directly into Rock- and Ground-types for fear of their STAB moves, however, and thus a bulky Grass-type, such as the previously mentioned Celebi and Ferrothorn, could be very useful. These bulky Grass-types are also of great use against Water-types, and ; Celebi is also notable for its ability to take on Fighting-types as well. It can also act as an excellent lure for Steel-types such as Scizor if given Hidden Power Fire. Finally, Magnezone is worth mentioning for its ability to trap and destroy dangerous Steel-types like Scizor, Skarmory, and Forretress, whom Crustle has trouble dealing with. It can also use its powerful STAB Thunderbolt against bulky Water-types.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>Crustle has tons of other excellent boosting moves, namely Rock Polish, Swords Dance, Claw Sharpen, and Curse, all of which are of great use if you don't want to commit suicide with the Shell Break set. However, in general, these types of sets are better left to Pokemon such as Armaldo and Rhyperior, with the possible exception of the Curse set, and however, even then, Tyranitar is generally a more appealing option. In terms of alternative physical attacks, Rock Slide is a more accurate but less powerful alternative to Stone Edge, Aerial Ace can be used as a stronger move against Fighting-types, and Shadow Claw can be useful if you are having trouble with Goruggo. On the whole though, just stick with what the sets propose if those specific types of Pokemon don't bother you a large amount. Protect can be of use on the lead set if you do not have Leftovers in order to scout and block Fake Out, or you do not want to run two entry hazards.</p>

<p>Crustle also has an intriguing combination in the form of Block + Spikes, which can allow it to stack layers of Spikes against a weaker opponent, such as Ferrothorn or Blissey. Crustle also gets a number of gimmick attacks, which can be fun to spring on your opponents. Flail is very nice in tandem with Sturdy, allowing you to hopefully get off a Swords Dance or Shell Break as your opponent brings you down to 1HP, and then proceed to break wreck things, though you are unlikely to last very long. Rock Wrecker is your strongest attack move and is guaranteed to marmalise {not a word, lol} anything that switches in. It ; however it is also guaranteed to lose you the match, as the next Pokemon to come in gets a free turn to set up and sweeps your team. Lastly, Shell Break also happens to raise your Special Attack stat, and, though quite frankly the last thing you want to be doing is trying to use Crustle as a special sweeper, there are nevertheless some interesting possibilities. For example, Hidden Power Fire OHKOes Forretress, whom you'd have had trouble with otherwise.</p>

[Counters]

<p>In terms of leading, if you lack Mental Herb, Taunt users can generally shut down Crustle almost entirely. This can at least frustrate Crustle's attempts to support the team, though many common Taunt-users have the problem of being weak to one of Crustle's STAB attacks. Generally, a Pokemon such as Heatran would be best placed to stop the entry hazards going up. Another method of dealing with lead Crustle is to employ a lead Starmie with Focus Sash, who can first bring Crustle down to 1HP with Surf and then knock it out with Rapid Spin, removing both Crustle and its hazards. Alternatively, you could simply KO it outright with a strong Rock Blast user such as Rhyperior.</p>

<p>Against offensive Crustle, you are unlikely to be hard-pressed to find a reasonable answer, as most defensive types bear the necessary defensive tools required to stop it. Bulky Water-types are high on the list, with Swampert being one of the best thanks to its resistance to Rock. Azumarill is also fairly bulky and can destroy Crustle with a strong STAB Aqua Jet before it has a chance to move. Bulky Fighting-types are also worth mentioning, as what they lack in terms of raw defensive power they make up for with resistances to both of Crustle's STAB attacks. Conkeldurr, Machamp, and Hariyama are all noteworthy options. Another type with resistances to both of Crustle's STAB attacks is Steel, though it is also weak to Earthquake. With that in mind, Skarmory and Forretress have extremely high Defense stats and, though neutral to Rock-type attacks, can take plenty of punishment ,and ; Skarmory can even use Crustle as set-up fodder. Scizor is also worth mentioning, as its STAB Technician Bullet Punch is, perhaps, Crustle's biggest fear. Lastly, Pokemon with sheer huge defensive stats in general are more than capable of causing Crustle some problems; these generally boil down to Steel-, Rock-, and Ground-types. Steelix, Rhyperior, and Hippowdon are all worth mentioning here.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Crustle's Dream World ability is Breakable Armor, which increases Speed and lowers Defense every time it is hit by a physical attack. While this may seem useful for sweeping sets, in actuality Shell Break does a much more reliable job of the same thing, and in just about all other cases, Sturdy is a better ability.</p>
 
Ta for the check.

Not all the corrections were really necessary, imo, but I implemented most of them anyway.

Oh and marmalise is most certainly a word, albeit a slang term (look it up)
 
I was playing around with the lead set... how about this?

name: Shell Break Lead
move 1: Shell Break
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: X-Scissor
item: Mental Herb
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Speed / 252 Atk / 6 HP

It looks odd, but hear me out. It works like a mash up of the two posted by the OP. Your opponent typically won't Taunt you again once you've used your mental herb and set up Rocks, so you have a turn to Shell Break (thanks to sturdy) and at least take one good swing at 'em.
It's a bit gimmicky, and you probably won't actually sweep any teams with all that priority running around, but it hits like a truck after just one SB. With proper team support I think this could be a really worthwhile set.
 
contrib_gp.png

GP 1/2
In general, watch repetitive word choice and extremely long sentences.

Additions in Bold
Deletions in Red
[Overview]

<p>Meet Crustle, the wee little hermit crab with the typically dubious Nintendo stat spread and typing. Just like many other forgotten Rock-types, it gets high Defense, moderate Attack, low HP and Special Defense, and truly appalling Speed. This stat spread is quite ironic considering that its typing, Bug/Rock, is terrific offensively but sincerely poor defensively, having only two resistances, to Normal and Poison. Add this to the fact that it is essentially a clone of Armaldo with higher Defense and lower Attack, and things begin to look fairly bleak. However, thanks to the combination of Crustle's ability, Sturdy, and its access to both Spikes and Stealth Rock, it has a niche as a potent support lead, which is almost guaranteed to set up entry hazards with the help of Mental Herb or Lum Berry for Taunt and sleep moves, respectively. Its dual STAB moves also help out here, as they allow Crustle to deal super effective damage to a number of common Taunt users, such as Thundurus, Deoxys-S, and Whimsicott. Crustle also has access to a number of powerful boosting moves and a useful offensive movepool, making it a decent offensive threat.</p>

[SET]
name: Support Lead
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Blast
move 4: X-Scissor
item: Mental Herb / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Crustle is one of only three Pokemon in the game (the others being Skarmory and Forretress) to get the combination of Sturdy + Spikes, and of the three is by far the most offensively threatening. It has access to excellent dual STAB moves that, when combined, hit a wide array of Pokemon for super effective damage, coming off an acceptable base 95 Attack stat. The basic idea behind the set is to first lay down either Stealth Rock or Spikes as your opponent attacks, surviving the attack thanks to your Sturdy ability, which means that in combination with Lum Berry or Mental Herb, no matter what the opponent does, it cannot stop Crustle from laying down Stealth Rock or at least one layer of Spikes.</p>

<p>However, there are several ways in which Crustle can be prevented from setting up. If you are using Mental Herb, opposing leads can potentially put you to sleep should they have a sleep-inducing move, and if running Lum Berry, many leads can stop Crustle from setting up by using Taunt, which is where Crustle's impressive STAB combination comes in. Stone Edge can OHKO 4 HP Thundurus and Aerodactyl, while X-Scissor does upwards of 85% to 248 HP Whimsicott and Deoxys-S, though it is unable to OHKO either. Rock Blast is an acceptable alternative to Stone Edge if you want to capitalize on its ability to break Focus Sashes; however, you need to get 4 hits in order to be able to OHKO Aerodactyl or Thundurus without any fuss.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs are fairly straightforward. Maximum Attack is essential to make the most of Crustle's biggest advantage over similar Skarmory and Forretress sets: - its impressive offensive presence. After this, 60 Speed EVs are advised to outrun Relaxed Swampert and the majority of other defensive threats, making it easier to stack Spikes on them. The leftover EVs are placed in HP to allow Crustle to take attacks more easily, which helps against both offensive and defensive threats. However, if you want, there are a number of other Speed benchmarks that you can aim for if you are unduly worried about being outsped by bulky threats - 88 Speed EVs outruns 4 Speed Machamp, and 208 Speed allows you to outrun Metagross and Scizor. Mental Herb or Lum Berry is advised in order to prevent Crustle from being immobilised by Taunt or sleep, respectively; , however, if you are not worried about either of them, then Leftovers is a useful alternative, as it helps bulk up Crustle and increases its staying power. It also helps against Fake Out leads, as it can heal off the damage caused by Infernape or Hitmontop, preserving Crustle's precious Sturdy failsafe.</p>

<p>In terms of teammates, you will want to pair Crustle with those who can take as great an advantage from the entry hazards as possible. The best examples are shufflers and set-up sweepers. For example, in the former category Roar Suicune, Whirlwind Skarmory, and Dragon Tail Salamence can sit around and shuffle the opponent, thereby racking up residual damage and weakening the foe's team, heightening the effect of the residual damage. This extra residual damage plays directly into the hands of set-up sweepers, all of whom appreciate extra damage on the opponent's team to make their sweep easier. Swords Dance Excadrill, Rock Polish Terrakion, and Quiver Dance Butterfly Dance Volcarona are all good options to consider. Lastly, a Ghost-type teammate support is vital as it can prevent your entry hazards from being cleared away by Rapid Spin users. Jellicent and Chandelure are decent options to consider for this.</p>

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move1: Shell Smash
move2: X-Scissor
move3: Stone Edge
move4: Earthquake
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Crustle is a proud holder of many useful boosting moves that many physical sweepers would give their left arms for. Swords Dance, Rock Polish, Claw Sharpen, and Curse are all very useful tools for Crustle to use, but the trouble is that Armaldo also gets all of them, and generally does a better job with them as well, thanks to its higher Attack stat. However, Crustle has one last trick up its sleeve that Armaldo doesn't have: access to perhaps the most broken set-up move in the game, Shell Smash, which after one use doubles Crustle's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed, at the cost of lowering its Defense and Special Defense by one stage. However, Crustle's natural physical bulk and the Special Defense boost from sandstorm compensate for this somewhat.</p>

<p>Crustle's STAB X-Scissor and Stone Edge form an impressive attacking combination, which, when combined with Earthquake, hits every single Pokemon in the game for at least neutral damage. When backed up by the boost from Shell Smash and Life Orb, this allows Crustle to tear through unprepared teams. Unlike in other situations, its poor Speed is not enough to hold it back, as after a Shell Smash it hits 378 Speed, which is sufficient to outrun positive-natured base 120 Speed Pokemon, including such as Alakazam and Dugtrio. Crustle's Sturdy ability is also a big help; - even though it may seem counter-productive with Life Orb, if you can get Crustle in without taking any damage, it can get off a Shell Smash without any worries about being OHKOed.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As far as the EVs and nature go, Crustle is unlikely to be surviving many super effective assaults, especially after a Shell Smash, meaning that a simple sweeper EV spread of 4/252/252 is generally the best option. An Adamant nature is advised in order to achieve the maximum damage output possible; however, a Jolly nature is also a useful option to allow you to outrun several key Pokemon, such as positive-natured base 130s. Life Orb is a necessary option for the power it brings, though Expert Belt may be worth a look if you are worried about bulk or want to preserve Sturdy as a failsafe. While Aerial Ace may seem a stupid option on something that clearly needs high-power moves to be an effective sweeper, it can be useful, especially on sandstorm teams, as a way of beating priority revenge killers, such as Hitmontop, Breloom, and Conkeldurr, who may attempt to stop a second sweep by Garchomp or Excadrill later on in the game. This is especially effective on Crustle, as even at -1 Defense, it is not even 2HKOed by unboosted Mach Punch from any of them. This will allow Crustle to deal some serious damage with Aerial Ace, hopefully defeating them on top of passive damage.</p>

<p>Entry hazards are a useful support tool to help Crustle sweep more easily. Deoxys-S in particular can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock with ease and prevent the other team from doing the same with Taunt, which is helpful as Crustle is weak to Stealth Rock and will want to preserve its Sturdy ability if it can. To this end, Rapid Spin support from Starmie or Forretress can also be considered, and the latter can also set up all three entry hazards. Tyranitar or Hippowdon is recommended to set up sandstorm, which boosts Crustle's Special Defense and increases passive damage on the opposing team; to this end, Crustle itself can be a useful asset on sandstorm teams if it can get set up, as it is one of the few defensive Rock-types that are not weak to both Fighting- and Ground-type attacks. While most sandstorm teams would prefer a more defensive Crustle to make switching easier, hyper-offensive Crustle has its merits as well. For example, Crustle can wear down big threats to sweepers like Excadrill and Garchomp, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Conkeldurr, though it cannot beat any of them outright. This makes it easier for your sandstorm sweepers to sweep the field later in the game. Crustle is also an excellent bait tool, not only for Conkeldurr and Breloom as described above, but also for Pokemon like Scizor, by forcing the opponent to use Bullet Punch to save their team and thus giving Excadrill a free switch.</p>

<p>When not being used on sandstorm teams, there are a number of other prospective partners for Crustle. Bulky Fighting-types, such as Conkeldurr and Machamp, while not being quite as threatening to other Rock-types, are still a massive pain. To take care of them, a Ghost-type such as Jellicent or Chandelure is advised, both of whom can also block Rapid Spin and are able to take on Scizor, who is a huge threat to massive pain for Crustle. Jellicent in particular can also deal with Water-types such as Azumarill, who are also likely to be an issue. Lastly, bulky Ground- and Rock-types, such as Hippowdon and Rhyperior, can be troublesome, as Crustle cannot hit hard enough to break their high Defense stats. As previously mentioned, Jellicent can take both on admirably, but lacks the ability to switch in on powerful physical attacks repeatedly. On the other hand, a bulky Grass-type such as Ferrothorn or Celebi could be worth investing in to switch in on and break down these annoyances. Both can also provide Leech Seed and Thunder Wave support for facilitating Crustle's sweep.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Crustle has tons of other excellent boosting moves, namely Rock Polish, Swords Dance, Hone Claws, and Curse, all of which are of great use if you don't want to commit suicide with the Shell Smash set. However, in general, these types of sets are better left to Pokemon such as Armaldo and Rhyperior, with the possible exception of the Curse set; however, even then Tyranitar is generally a more appealing option. In terms of alternative physical attacks, Rock Slide is a more accurate but less powerful alternative to Stone Edge, Aerial Ace can be used as a stronger move against Fighting-types, and Shadow Claw can be useful if you are having trouble with Golurk. On the whole though, just stick with what the sets propose if those specific types of Pokemon don't bother you. Protect can be of use on the lead set if you do not have Leftovers in order to scout and block Fake Out, or you do not want to run two entry hazards.</p>

<p>Crustle also has an intriguing combination in the form of Block + Spikes, which can allow it to stack layers of Spikes against a weaker opponent such as Ferrothorn or Blissey. Crustle also gets a number of gimmick attacks, which can be fun to spring on your opponents. Flail is very nice in tandem with Sturdy, allowing you to hopefully get off a Swords Dance or Shell Smash as your opponent brings you down to 1HP and then proceed to wreck things, though you are unlikely to last very long. Rock Wrecker is Crustle's strongest STAB attack and is guaranteed to marmalise anything that switches into it; however, it is also guaranteed to lose you the match, as the next Pokemon to come in gets a free turn to set up and sweep your team. Lastly, Shell Smash also happens to raise your Special Attack stat, and, though quite frankly the last thing you want to be doing is trying to use Crustle as a special sweeper, there are nevertheless some interesting possibilities. For example, Hidden Power Fire OHKOes Forretress, whom you would have trouble with otherwise.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>In terms of leading, if you lack Mental Herb, Taunt users can generally shut down Crustle almost entirely. This can frustrate Crustle's attempts to support the team, though many common Taunt-users have the problem of being weak to one of Crustle's STAB attacks. Generally, a Pokemon such as Heatran would be best placed to stop the entry hazards going up. Another method of dealing with lead Crustle is to employ a lead Starmie with Focus Sash, who can first bring Crustle down to 1HP with Surf and then knock it out with Rapid Spin, removing both Crustle and its hazards. Alternatively, you could simply KO it outright with a strong Rock Blast user such as Rhyperior.</p>

<p>Against offensive Crustle, you are unlikely to be hard-pressed to find a reasonable answer, as most defensive types bear the necessary defensive tools required to stop it. Bulky Water-types are high on the list, with Quagsire being one of the best thanks to its resistance to Rock, reliable recovery, and Unaware ability. Azumarill is also fairly bulky and can destroy Crustle with a strong STAB Aqua Jet before it has a chance to move. Bulky Fighting-types are also worth mentioning, as what they lack in terms of raw defensive power they make up for with resistances to both of Crustle's STAB attacks. Conkeldurr, Machamp, and Hariyama are all noteworthy options. Another type with resistances to both of Crustle's STAB attacks is Steel, though it is also weak to Earthquake. With that in mind, Skarmory and Forretress have extremely high Defense stats and, although take neutral damage from to Rock-type attacks, can take plenty of punishment; Skarmory can even use Crustle as set-up fodder. Scizor is also worth mentioning, as its STAB Technician Bullet Punch is, perhaps, Crustle's biggest fear. Lastly, Pokemon with huge defensive stats in general are more than capable of causing Crustle some problems; these generally boil down to Steel-, Rock-, and Ground-types. Steelix, Rhyperior, and Hippowdon are all worth mentioning here.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Crustle's Dream World ability is Breakable Armor, which increases Speed and lowers Defense every time it is hit by a physical attack. While this may seem useful for sweeping sets, in actuality Shell Smash does a much more reliable job of the same thing, and in just about all other cases Sturdy is a better ability.</p>
 
It gets curse, so maybe a curse set? With Breakable armour, you would gain speed whenever hit, which cancels out the negative (and positive) buffs of curse, putting you at +1 atk opposed to + 1 atk and def -1 spe.
So why would you do this instead of Swords Dance?
 
Changes in bold
Removals in red
Comments in bold red

[Overview]

<p>Meet Crustle, the wee little hermit crab with the typically dubious Nintendo stat spread and typing. Just like many other forgotten Rock-types, it gets high Defense, moderate Attack, low HP and Special Defense, and truly appalling Speed. This stat spread is quite ironic considering that its typing, Bug / Rock (spacing), is terrific offensively but sincerely poor defensively, having only two resistances, to Normal and Poison. Add this to the fact that it is essentially a clone of Armaldo with higher Defense and lower Attack, and things begin to look fairly bleak. However, thanks to the combination of Crustle's ability, Sturdy, and its access to both Spikes and Stealth Rock, it has a niche as a potent support Pokemon, which is almost guaranteed to set up entry hazards with the help of Mental Herb or Lum Berry for Taunt and sleep moves, respectively. Its dual STAB moves also help out here, as they allow Crustle to deal super effective damage to a number of common Taunt users, such as Thundurus, Deoxys-S, and Whimsicott, as well as both Espeon and Xatu super effectively as well. Crustle also has access to a number of powerful boosting moves and a useful offensive movepool, making it a decent offensive threat.</p>

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Blast
move 4: X-Scissor
item: Mental Herb / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Crustle is one of only three Pokemon in the game (the others being Skarmory and Forretress) to get the combination of Sturdy + Spikes, and of the three is by far the most offensively threatening. It has access to excellent dual STAB moves that, when combined, hit a wide array of Pokemon for super effective damage, coming off an acceptable base 95 Attack stat. The basic idea behind the set is to first lay down either Stealth Rock or Spikes as your opponent attacks, surviving the attack thanks to your Sturdy ability, which means that in combination with Lum Berry or Mental Herb, no matter what the opponent does, it cannot stop Crustle from laying down Stealth Rock or at least one layer of Spikes.</p>

<p>However, there are several ways in which Crustle can be prevented from setting up. If you are using Mental Herb, opposing Pokemon can potentially stop it should they have a sleep-inducing move, and if running Lum Berry, many Pokemon can stop Crustle from setting up by using Taunt, which is where Crustle's impressive STAB combination comes in. Stone Edge can OHKO 4 HP Thundurus and 252 HP Xatu, while X-Scissor OHKOes Espeon and does upwards of 85% to 248 HP Whimsicott and Deoxys-S, though it is unable to OHKO either. Rock Blast is an acceptable alternative to Stone Edge if you want to capitalize on its ability to break Focus Sashes; however, you'd need to get at least 4 hits in order to be able to OHKO Xatu or Thundurus without any fuss.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs are fairly straightforward. Maximum Attack is essential to make the most of Crustle's biggest advantage over similar Skarmory and Forretress sets: its impressive offensive presence. After this, 60 Speed EVs are advised to outrun Relaxed Swampert and the majority of other defensive threats, making it easier to stack Spikes on them. The leftover EVs are placed in HP to allow Crustle to take attacks more easily, which helps against both offensive and defensive threats. However, if you want, there are a number of other Speed benchmarks that you can aim for if you are unduly worried about being outsped by bulky threats - 84 Speed EVs outruns minimum Speed base 55s such as Machamp (speed creep..), and 204 Speed allows you to outrun defensive Metagross and Scizor. Mental Herb or Lum Berry is advised in order to prevent Crustle from being immobilised by Taunt or sleep, respectively; however, if you are not worried about either of them, then Leftovers is a useful alternative, as it helps bulk up Crustle and increases its staying power.</p>

<p>In terms of teammates, you will want to pair Crustle with those who can take as great an advantage from the entry hazards as possible. The best examples are shufflers and set-up sweepers. For example, in the former category Roar Suicune, Whirlwind Skarmory, and Dragon Tail Salamence can sit around and shuffle the opponent, thereby racking up residual damage and weakening the foe's team, heightening the effect of the residual damage. This extra residual damage plays directly into the hands of set-up sweepers, all of whom appreciate extra damage on the opponent's team to make their sweep easier. Swords Dance Excadrill, Rock Polish Terrakion, and Quiver Dance Volcarona are all good options to consider. Lastly, a Ghost-type teammate is vital to prevent your entry hazards from being cleared away by Rapid Spin users. Jellicent and Chandelure are decent options to consider for this.</p>

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move1: Shell Smash
move2: X-Scissor
move3: Stone Edge
move4: Earthquake
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Crustle is a proud holder of many useful boosting moves that many physical sweepers would give their left arms for. Swords Dance, Rock Polish, Claw Sharpen, and Curse are all very useful tools for Crustle to use, but the trouble is that Armaldo also gets all of them, and generally does a better job with them as well, thanks to its higher Attack stat. However, Crustle has one last trick up its sleeve that Armaldo doesn't have: access to perhaps the most broken set-up move in the game, Shell Smash, which after one use doubles Crustle's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed, at the cost of lowering its Defense and Special Defense by one stage. However, Crustle's natural physical bulk and a Special Defense boost from sandstorm compensate for this somewhat.</p>

<p>Crustle's STAB X-Scissor and Stone Edge form an impressive attacking combination, which, when combined with Earthquake, hits every single Pokemon in the game for at least neutral damage. When backed up by the boost from Shell Smash and Life Orb, this allows Crustle to tear right through unprepared teams. Unlike in other situations, its poor Speed is not enough to hold it back, as after a Shell Smash it hits 378 Speed, which is sufficient to outrun positive-natured base 120 Speed Pokemon, including Alakazam and Dugtrio. Crustle's Sturdy ability is also a big help; even though it may seem counter-productive with Life Orb, if you can get Crustle in without taking any damage, it can at least get off a Shell Smash without any worries about being OHKOed.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As far as the EVs and nature go, Crustle is unlikely to be surviving many super effective assaults, especially after a Shell Smash, meaning that a simple sweeper EV spread of 4/252/252 is generally the best option. An Adamant nature is advised in order to achieve the maximum damage output possible; however, a Jolly nature is also a useful option to allow Crustle to outrun several key Pokemon, such as positive-natured base 130s. Life Orb is a necessary option for the power it brings, though Expert Belt may be worth a look if you are worried about bulk or want to preserve Sturdy as a failsafe. While Aerial Ace may seem a stupid option on something that clearly needs high-power moves to be an effective sweeper, it can be useful, especially on sandstorm teams, as a way of beating priority revenge killers, (remove comma) such as Hitmontop, Breloom, and Conkeldurr, who may attempt to stop a second sweep by Garchomp or Excadrill later on in the game. This is especially effective on Crustle, as even at -1 Defense, it is not even 2HKOed by an unboosted Mach Punch from any of them. This will allow Crustle to deal some serious damage with Aerial Ace, hopefully defeating them on top of passive damage.</p>

<p>Entry hazards are a useful support tool to help Crustle sweep more easily. Deoxys-S in particular can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock with ease and prevent the other team from doing the same with Taunt, which is helpful as Crustle is weak to Stealth Rock and will want to preserve its Sturdy ability if it can. To this end, Rapid Spin support from Starmie or Forretress can also be considered, and the latter can also set up all three entry hazards. Tyranitar or Hippowdon is recommended to set up sandstorm, which boosts Crustle's Special Defense and increases passive damage on the opposing team; Crustle itself can be a useful asset on sandstorm teams if it can get set up, as it is one of the few defensive Rock-types that are not weak to both Fighting- and Ground-type attacks. While most sandstorm teams would prefer a more defensive Crustle to make switching easier, hyper-offensive Crustle has its merits as well. For example, Crustle can wear down big threats to its fellow sandstorm sweepers like Excadrill and Garchomp, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Conkeldurr, though it cannot beat any of them outright. This makes it easier for them to sweep the field later in the game. Crustle is also an excellent bait tool, not only for Conkeldurr and Breloom as described above, but also for Pokemon like Scizor, by forcing the opponent to use Bullet Punch to save their team and thus giving Excadrill a free switch.</p>

<p>When not being used on sandstorm teams, there are a number of other prospective partners for Crustle. Bulky Fighting-types, such as Conkeldurr and Machamp, while not being quite as threatening to other Rock-types, are still a massive pain. To take care of them, a Ghost-type such as Jellicent or Chandelure is advised, both of whom can also block Rapid Spin and are able to take on Scizor, who is a huge threat to Crustle. Jellicent in particular can also deal with Water-types such as Azumarill, who are also likely to be an issue. Lastly, bulky Ground- and Rock-types, such as Hippowdon and Rhyperior, can be troublesome, as Crustle cannot hit hard enough to break through their sturdy defenses. As previously mentioned, Jellicent can take both on admirably, but lacks the ability to switch in on powerful physical attacks repeatedly. On the other hand, a bulky Grass-type such as Ferrothorn or Celebi could be worth investing in to switch in on and break down these annoyances. Both can also provide Leech Seed and Thunder Wave support for facilitating Crustle's sweep.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Crustle has tons of other excellent boosting moves, namely Rock Polish, Swords Dance, Hone Claws, and Curse, all of which are of great use if you don't want to commit suicide with the Shell Smash set. However, in general, these types of sets are better left to Pokemon such as Armaldo and Rhyperior, with the possible exception of the Curse set; however, even then Tyranitar is generally a more appealing option. In terms of alternative physical attacks, Rock Slide is a more accurate but less powerful alternative to Stone Edge, Aerial Ace can be used as a stronger move against Fighting-types, and Shadow Claw can be useful if you are having trouble with Golurk. On the whole though, just stick with what the sets propose if those specific types of Pokemon don't bother you. Protect can be of use on the Support set if you do not have Leftovers in order to scout and block Fake Out, or you do not want to run two entry hazards.</p>

<p>Crustle also has an intriguing move combination in the form of Block + Spikes, which can allow it to stack layers of Spikes against a weaker opponent such as Ferrothorn or Blissey. Crustle also gets a number of gimmick attacks, which can be fun to spring on your opponents. Flail is very nice in tandem with Sturdy, allowing you to hopefully get off a Swords Dance or Shell Smash as your opponent brings you down to the digit and then proceed to wreck things, though Crustle is unlikely to last very long this way. Rock Wrecker is Crustle's strongest STAB attack and is guaranteed to marmalize anything that switches into it; however, it is also guaranteed to lose you the match (a bit of an exaggeration, no?), as the next Pokemon to come in gets a free turn to set up and sweep your team. Lastly, Shell Smash also happens to raise your Special Attack stat, and, though quite frankly the last thing you want to be doing is trying to use Crustle as a special sweeper, there are nevertheless some interesting possibilities. For example, Hidden Power Fire OHKOes Forretress, with whom Crustle would otherwise have trouble with otherwise.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>If Crustle lacks Mental Herb, Taunt users can generally shut it down almost entirely. This can frustrate Crustle's attempts to support the team, though many common Taunt users have the problem of being weak to one of Crustle's STAB attacks. Espeon or Xatu can also irritate Crustle by virtue of their Magic Bounce ability, but again, watch out for Crustle's STAB moves, as they can OHKO both. Generally, a Pokemon such as Heatran would be best placed to stop the entry hazards going up through brute force, since it takes very little from any of Crustle's attacks and can switch in with relative impunity. Another method of dealing with Crustle is to employ a Rapid Spin Starmie or Excadrill, who can first bring Crustle down to Sturdy with their respective STAB moves and then knock it out with Rapid Spin, removing both Crustle and its hazards.</p>

<p>Against offensive Crustle, you are unlikely to be hard-pressed to find a reasonable answer, as most defensive types bear the necessary defensive tools required to stop it. Bulky Water-types are high on the list, with Quagsire being one of the best thanks to its resistance to Rock, reliable recovery, and Unaware ability. Azumarill is also fairly bulky and can destroy Crustle with a strong STAB Aqua Jet before it even has a chance to move. Bulky Fighting-types are also worth mentioning, as what they lack in terms of raw defensive power they make up for with resistances to both of Crustle's STAB attacks. Conkeldurr, Machamp, and Hariyama are all noteworthy options. Another type with resistances to both of Crustle's STAB attacks is Steel, though it is also weak to Earthquake. With that in mind, Skarmory and Forretress have extremely high Defense stats and, although they take neutral damage from Rock-type attacks, can take plenty of punishment; Skarmory can even use Crustle as set-up fodder. Scizor is also worth mentioning, as its STAB Technician Bullet Punch is, perhaps, Crustle's biggest fear. Lastly, Pokemon with huge defensive stats in general are more than capable of causing Crustle some problems; these generally boil down to Steel-, Rock-, and Ground-types. Steelix, Rhyperior, and Hippowdon are all worth mentioning here.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Crustle's Dream World ability is Breakable Armor, which increases Speed and lowers Defense every time it is hit by a physical attack. While this may seem useful for sweeping sets, in actuality Shell Smash does a much more reliable job of the same thing, and in just about all other cases Sturdy is a better ability.</p>

you refers to the battler, remember?

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